Asad, the main accused in the murder of Ghaziabad teenager Surya Chauhan on Bakrid day, died following an encounter with police early Sunday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Dhawal Jaiswal stated that Asad sustained severe injuries during an exchange of fire with a police team in the Khoda area. He was taken to a hospital where he passed away.
Surya Chauhan, a resident of Navneet Vihar Colony in Khoda, was stabbed by Asad following a verbal spat on May 28. He was immediately admitted to a local hospital before being referred to a private hospital in Noida, where he died.
Notably, the victim's mother had refused to perform Surya Chauhan's last rites until the perpetrator was encountered.
Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's family, police registered a case against five persons. Three accused were arrested soon after the incident, while Asad, named as the main accused, remained absconding.
A reward of Rs 50,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
Earlier, police had said preliminary investigations suggested that the accused and the victim were friends and that a dispute over riding a motorcycle escalated into an argument, during which Chauhan was stabbed.
The victim's family, however, alleged that Chauhan had been lured to a meeting spot after receiving a phone call and was attacked by multiple assailants armed with knives.
Following Chauhan's death, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said on Saturday that the killers would not be spared and face the strictest punishment under the law.
BSP chief Mayawati described the incident as "extremely tragic and worrying" and demanded strict action against those responsible.
With inputs from PTI
