LUCKNOW: A man, allegedly accused of kidnapping and murdering his landlord's eight-year-old daughter, was killed in an encounter with Agra police on Saturday.
According to sources, the accused, identified as 35-year-old Sunil Kumar, allegedly committed the crime following a dispute with his landlord over unpaid rent. He worked at a shoe manufacturing unit owned by the victim’s family and had been living as a tenant in their house for the past year.
The case came to light after the child went missing from her home in the Tajganj police station area on March 24. A missing report was lodged by the police on the basis of the complaint submitted by the family.
The district police authorities set up three teams and launched a search operation. The next day, the girl's body was recovered from Kumar’s room, where it had been concealed inside a steel drum used to store flour. The child's throat had been slit, and the accused had cleaned the room to remove bloodstains before fleeing.
Following the discovery of the victim's body, police formed 12 teams to track down the accused and announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Acting on a tip-off on Saturday that Kumar was attempting to escape to neighbouring Firozabad district, police cordoned off a location in Bamrauli Katara, where the accused was hiding.
According to the police, the accused opened fire on the team, injuring Sub-Inspector Vishwajeet Rana in the arm. Police retaliated, and Kumar sustained gunshot injuries, said Syed Ali Abbas, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Agra. Sunil Kumar was immediately taken to a hospital, where he later died during treatment.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Kumar had an altercation with the victim’s father and uncle a few days before the incident. The victim's uncle allegedly slapped Sunil and locked him up in his room. However, Sunil cleared the dues later and took back the room keys.
On Tuesday, the victim went missing and the family made a PCR call.
Police said Kumar had initially joined the family in searching for the missing girl and even accompanied them to the police station. However, he disappeared when the family requested a search of neighbouring houses, including his own.
A complaint was later lodged, suspecting his involvement. When police forced open his room, they discovered the child’s body.
The police recovered a numberless Splendor motorbike, a .315 bore pistol, six shells, and three live cartridges from the accused. Officials said a vaginal swab report is awaited to determine whether sexual assault occurred. Police are also probing the possible involvement of others in the case.