Man wanted for murdering 14-year-old national bravery award winner arrested

The Uttar Pradesh police arrested Rohtash Balyan, wanted for 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and murder of national bravery award winner (posthomous)14-year-old Riya Chaudhary.

The special task force (west) of Uttar Pradesh police arrested a person who was wanted in a murder case and the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

The accused, Rohtash Balyan (centre) was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the murder of 14-year-old Riya Chaudhary, who was awarded the national bravery award posthumously, in Muzaffarnagar in 2014. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The accused, Rohtash Balyan, 40, was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the murder of 14-year-old Riya Chaudhary, who was awarded the national bravery award posthumously, in Muzaffarnagar in 2014.

“The suspect was nabbed after an encounter at Knowledge Park area on Tuesday night. He was hiding under fake identities till now. The CBI has been informed about his arrest,” Rajkumar Mishra, deputy superintendent of police, STF west, said.

The accused is alleged to have murdered 14-year-old Riya Chaudhary on May 10, 2014, in Muzaffarnagar in a personal rivalry. He had pointed a gun at Riya’s father but she jumped in front of the gun and died on the spot due to the bullet injury, police said.

“Rohtash and his neighbour Suresh were having a tussle over space for drainage. On May 10, he attacked Suresh in his house but his daughter Riya was hit by the bullet and died. A case was registered at Muzaffarnagar and a manhunt was launched to arrest him,” Mishra said.

Riya was awarded the Bapu Gaidhani (national bravery) award posthumously in 2014.

The police said that the accused was also involved in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

“He had been to jail in 2003 for assaulting a person. After getting out on bail, he started a cable business in Muzaffarnagar and with the help of his criminal friends, he earned good money from the business. In 2013, when communal riots broke out in Muzaffarnagar, he started robbing people,” Mishra said.

The police said that he had attacked another person in Knowledge Park while hiding from them. Two cases have been lodged at the Knowledge Park police station.