Rape And Murder Accused Killed In Police Encounter In Lucknow

Lucknow Police on Friday, March 21, shot dead an autorickshaw driver accused of attempting to rape and murdering a 32-year-old woman in the Malihabad area. The accused, identified as Ajay Dwivedi, had been on the run since the incident on March 18. His brother and co-accused, Dinesh, was arrested earlier in the day.

According to the police, the victim, a resident of Ayodhya, had arrived in Lucknow from Varanasi after attending a job interview and was on her way to her brother’s house in Chinhat. Around 1:30 AM on March 18, she called her brother from Alambagh, informing him about her journey. However, she never reached her destination, and when her brother attempted to contact her, her phone was switched off.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishwajit Shrivastava stated that the woman had unknowingly boarded a three-wheeler driven by Ajay and Dinesh. Taking advantage of her unfamiliarity with the city’s routes, the duo diverted towards Malihabad instead of Chinhat. In a secluded mango orchard, they allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, they strangled her and abandoned her body before fleeing.

Her family grew concerned after losing contact with her and reported the matter to the UP 112 emergency helpline. Multiple police teams were deployed to track her down. Her body was discovered unconscious in a mango orchard near Mohammad Nagar Talukdari in Malihabad and was rushed to King George’s Medical University, where doctors declared her dead.

Authorities launched an extensive investigation using electronic surveillance, leading to Dinesh’s arrest in the morning. A reward of ₹1 lakh was announced for information on Ajay Dwivedi, who was still absconding.

By the evening, police traced Ajay’s location to Mahmood Nagar. Upon being confronted, Ajay attempted to flee and opened fire on the police team, prompting a retaliatory action in which he sustained bullet injuries. He was immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

DCP Shrivastava confirmed, “The accused fired at the police in an attempt to escape. In retaliation, he was shot and later succumbed to his injuries.”

The victim’s family expressed deep sorrow and demanded strict action against the accused. The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

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