Rampur: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police shot dead a man accused of killing a 19-year-old NEET aspirant in Gorakhpur’s Pipraich on September 16. The man, identified as Mohammad Zubair, died after an encounter in the Rampur district of UP on Friday night.
A Rs 1 lakh reward was announced for information on Zubair, alias Kalia, after the incident. Declared an absconder after the September 16 incident, in which Deepak Gupta was killed, he was tracked to the Ganj area.
Gupta, preparing for his NEET examination, gave chase to cattle smugglers on the night of September 16 and was injured by the criminals. He died in hospital later.
According to the police, a tip-off was received of Zubair being in the Ganj area. They said an exchange of fire took place when they attempted to apprehend him. The cattle smuggler was critically injured and died in hospital later, the police said. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter.
The police said that Zubair had 18 cases against him, mainly in connection with cattle smuggling and cow slaughter. Three of his brothers also have charges against them.
The youth’s death on September 16 resulted in tension in the area, following which the police sprung into action. The Gorakhpur police, working with their counterparts in Kushinagar, arrested four suspects in connection with the case.
The incident also led to the suspension or removal of 35 policemen, including station house officers (SHOs) in Gorakhpur and Kushinagar. This happened after locals claimed that they had failed to check the movement of smuggling networks in the area.
The police report says that on the night of September 16 a group of alleged cattle smugglers, in two pickup vans, were confronted by residents after being seen removing cattle. When the villagers pursued them, Deepak chased one of the vehicles on a two-wheeler and was allegedly dragged into a van. He was later found injured on the roadside.
Locals had succeeded in nabbing one of the accused. He was rescued by the police later in a critically injured condition and died in hospital later. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had met Deepak Gupta’s family in Gorakhpur and directed stricter action against those involved.
