NOIDA: A 35-year-old man wanted in cases of murder and
attempt to murder was arrested on Wednesday since being on the run for the past four years. The accused, Lalit, hails from
Sambhal and carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head since committing the crimes in November 2014.
Anil Pratap Singh, SHO, Sector 58 police station, said Lalit worked with a gang that stole goods and valuables at gunpoint. He said that in November 2014, Lalit, his sister Geeta, her husband Pan Singh and another accomplice Sanjay had conducted a robbery at a grocery shop in
Basai village at night.
Shopkeeper Pankaj, who lived in an adjacent house, had woken up because of the sound of the lock being broken and put up a fight against the gang.
The robbers opened fire and shot him dead, the police said. Pankaj's father Jai Karan rushed to the spot for his son's rescue and he, too, was critically wounded after being hit with a bullet. The gang of robbers had then escaped with stolen goods and cash.
A police team that had reached the spot after the robbery had registered a case of murder and attempt to murder against the four persons. The cops had launched a search and arrested Geeta and Sanjay a few months later.
On May 10, 2015, the police announced a Rs 25,000 reward on the arrest of two absconding criminals. Sources said that last week, the police in Sector 58 had received information about the movement of Pan Singh and Lalit in the area.
A team that was deployed in the area had signalled the suspects to stop their bike, but they apparently opened fire at the cops. "The criminals tried to speed away after opening fire at the police team. The police returned fire, in which Pan Singh was injured and later arrested," an officer said.
Lalit, however, managed to escape from the spot. The arrest took place at the Mamura crossing and the cops said they had recovered a country-made gun and two live cartridges from his possession. He was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.
Picture for representation only.
