A police chase in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district went horribly wrong after two criminals on the run barged into a house, took the family hostage and killed an inspector in the ensuing gun-battle.
In the encounter that lasted more than five hours, the police killed both the criminals, Vikas Singh and Dheeraj Singh. One of the family members who were taken hostage was also killed in the crossfire.Vikas and Dheeraj had escaped from the Gorakhpur district prison in March. At 2pm on Wednesday, police received a tip off that the duo were heading towards Cheraikot area of Mau, 310 km from Lucknow. Soon after, the police blocked the road from Cheraikot to nearby Mohammadabad.
Taken by surprise at finding themselves surrounded by a large contingent of police, the criminals took shelter in one of the houses on the highway.
When inspector Govind Singh shot at them, the duo fired in retaliation, using a family member, Ramjee Baranwal, as their shield, officials said. A bullet pierced the inspector’s belly while another hit his right arm. He died on the way to the hospital.
{{/usCountry}}When inspector Govind Singh shot at them, the duo fired in retaliation, using a family member, Ramjee Baranwal, as their shield, officials said. A bullet pierced the inspector’s belly while another hit his right arm. He died on the way to the hospital.
{{/usCountry}}After this incident, police force from 12 police stations rushed to the spot. As the sun set, lighting arrangements were made to prevent them from fleeing in the dark. After five hours of intense gun-battle, police killed the duo around 8pm.
Another injured cop has been rushed to Varanasi for treatment.
The state government had ordered senior officials to keep a close watch on developments unfolding at Mau. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had also been apprised of the incident.
Relatives of the deceased inspector, staying in Varanasi, are in a state of shock.