Meerut: In a scene reminiscent of a crime thriller, Meerut police on Thursday arrested a man accused of killing his wife’s alleged lover in a crowded market, after a dramatic 40-minute standoff in a sugarcane field, during which he repeatedly threatened officers with a homemade pistol before surrendering.
According to police, officers surrounded the accused Pradeep, but he refused to surrender himself, alternately drinking water and smoking bidis while pointing weapons at them. Every time his members tried to approach, he warned them that he would shoot. After long persuasion and reassurances from senior officials, he finally surrendered and was detained.
SSP Avinash Pandey said that the accused has been booked under Section 103 (murder) of the BNS.
Read also | ‘He will kill her too’: Chilling confession on bike, surrounded by cops by Meerut man after killing his wife’s lover
Earlier in the day, the body of the deceased Surendra Singh, 28, underwent a post-mortem examination. After receiving the body, the people blocked the road instead of performing the last ceremonies, demanding the arrest of the accused. The traffic queues extended for long distances until the police intervened and convinced the family to disperse after about 40 minutes by assuring them of quick action.
Police said the shooting took place around 1:45 pm on Wednesday in Ramraj area when Surendra was riding a motorcycle. Pradeep, a resident of Valawad, arrived on another bike with his face covered with a cloth and carrying two locally made pistols.
Upon spotting Surendra, he fired three shots – two at his waist from behind and the third at close range at his temple, killing him instantly. Eyewitnesses said that after firing the first two shots, he shouted in the market, challenging anyone to save the victim, before firing the last shot.
Investigators later found out that Surendra had an affair with Pradeep’s wife and eloped with her. He was reportedly planning to marry her. Police also learned that the two men had recently argued about the relationship. CCTV footage from the scene allegedly shows a masked assailant, believed to be Pradeep, shooting the victim.
After the murder, Pradeep circulated a four-minute video clip recorded while riding his motorcycle. In it, he abused his wife and Surendra, claimed to have “taken revenge”, and threatened to kill his wife as well. He declared that he was not afraid of anyone, challenged police officials and said that he was carrying his own shroud and was ready to die.
Pradeep insisted that he was responsible for the crime and that neither his family nor his friends were involved. He also showed the gun tucked in his pants and said he would throw it into the canal, urging viewers to share his video.
In the same clip, he allegedly accused officers at Hastinapur police station of forcing him to carry weapons by not submitting court documents, and even threatened them. The weapon was allegedly arranged by a relative of the victim.
SSP Avinash Pandey said the victim, also known as Sunil or Jabba, and a resident of Bahsoma police station area, was killed on Wednesday. The accused later posted a video confessing to committing the crime and was arrested from Kalavda village.
Police said further legal proceedings are underway and additional charges may be added based on evidence collected during the investigation.
