The prime accused in the murder of the groom, who was shot dead during his wedding procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur on May 1, was killed in a gunfight late on Sunday night, police said on Monday.
The accused was Ravi Yadav, who carried a reward, the police said $1 lakh on his head, he was on a motorcycle when he was asked to stop while the vehicle was being checked. They added that Yadav and his accomplice rushed towards a bypass road under construction and opened fire on a police team that was chasing them.
Yadav’s killing is the latest in a series of “encounter killings” in Uttar Pradesh, where authorities maintain that such encounters are mostly related to self-defense and form part of the government’s zero-tolerance policy against crime.
Police said Yadav was seriously injured in retaliatory firing while his aide managed to escape. Yadav died during hospital treatment.
Police said that an officer was shot in the hand during the exchange of gunfire, while another policeman miraculously survived after a bullet hit his bulletproof vest.
Police said Yadav conspired with Pradeep Bind, the bride’s cousin, and his other accomplice, Bhol Rajbhar, to kill the groom, Azad Bind.
Investigators found that Pradeep Bind was not happy with Bind Azad and Soni Bind’s love marriage. On the night of May 1, the accused intercepted the groom’s car and opened fire randomly.
Azad Bind, a resident of Badur village in Sarai Khwaja, who worked in a private company in Pune, was shot in the stomach and jaw and died on the spot. Police said that Bhoul Rajbhar shared the real location of the groom with the shooters.
A murder case has been registered on the complaint of Azad Pind’s father, Ram Lakhan Pind. So far, 13 people have been arrested for allegedly sheltering and assisting the accused after the murder.
Eyewitnesses told police that two masked men on a motorcycle approached the groom’s car, knocked on the window and opened fire as soon as Azad Pind rolled down the window.
CCTV footage helped police identify the suspects. She identified Soni Bind, the groom’s brother Akash Ravi Yadav, Pradeep Bind and Bhoul Rajbhar as the accused.
Soni Bind told the police that she had been in a relationship with Azad Bind for two years and their wedding date was fixed six months ago despite the opposition of some relatives.
