In a dramatic turn of events, Anish Khan, the prime suspect in the brutal assault on a 40-year-old woman constable aboard the Saryu Express train, was allegedly gunned down by Uttar Pradesh Police during an early morning encounter in Ayodhya. Two of Khan’s associates, Azad and Vishambhar Dayal Dubey, were arrested following the exchange of gunfire, during which a police officer was also injured.
The deceased, Anish Khan, was identified as the prime accused, while Azad and Dubey, who sustained bullet injuries, are currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. Anish and Azad hail from Haiderganj in Ayodhya, while Dubey is a native of Sultanpur.
Superintendent of Police (Ayodhya) Raj Karan Nayyar disclosed that the police received a tip-off, which led to the victim being shown a photograph that helped identify the suspects. Nayyar stated that the photograph shown to the victim was that of Anish Khan.
According to Nayyar, a police team attempted to arrest the accused on Friday morning when they opened fire on the officers. In response, the police returned fire, resulting in injuries to Azad and Dubey. Anish Khan managed to escape initially but was later traced to the Pura Kalandar locality. When asked to surrender, Anish fired at the police, prompting the officers to return fire, ultimately leading to his demise. Another policeman was injured during the crossfire.
The incident in question occurred on August 30 when the victim, an on-duty constable, was discovered unconscious in a train’s general compartment at Ayodhya railway station, surrounded by a pool of blood and bearing wounds from a sharp-edged weapon on her face. The assault was brought to light when a passenger boarded the train at Ayodhya junction and found the victim beneath a lower berth in an empty compartment. The passenger immediately alerted the Government Railway Police (GRP).
An FIR was swiftly registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
Notably, the Allahabad High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case, with the high court acknowledging the severity of the incident in its order, stating, “…a letter petition has been presented… espousing the cause of the prosecutrix (referred to as ‘X’) and giving the details of the gruesome incident and the injuries suffered by ‘X.’ Apart from bringing certain facts on record, Sri Kaushik has also requested for taking suo motu cognizance in the matter of the gruesome gang rape of ‘X.'”
Summary:
- Anish Khan, the prime suspect in the assault on a woman constable aboard the Saryu Express train, was killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Police in Ayodhya.
- Two associates of Khan, Azad and Vishambhar Dayal Dubey, were arrested during the encounter, with both sustaining bullet injuries.
- The incident occurred on August 30 when the victim was found unconscious in a train compartment at Ayodhya railway station with sharp-edged weapon wounds.
- The Allahabad High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case, acknowledging the gravity of the incident.
- An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
- A police officer was injured during the exchange of fire with the suspects.