Trader’s murder accused held after encounter; 3 cops suspended

Pilibhit: A man accused in the murder of a cloth merchant in Pilibhit’s Bilsanda was arrested after an encounter with police on Saturday morning, while three policemen were suspended for alleged lapses in patrolling and surveillance.SP Sukirti Madhav suspended Bilsanda police post in-charge Anil Singh and constables Pranav Kumar and Narendra Kumar. They have been attached to the reserve police lines.The arrest came during an intensive vehicle-check drive on the Bilsanda-Banda Road around 5am. SP Madhav said a motorcycle approaching from the Banda side was signalled to stop, but its rider, Lucky Maurya (21), allegedly opened fire on the police team.“In retaliatory fire, Maurya sustained a bullet injury below his right knee,” Madhav said.Maurya, a resident of Shahjahanpur, later confessed to his involvement in the attack on bicycle trader Pankaj Katiyar and cloth merchant Rakesh Gupta on Thursday, police said. Three other accused named in the case had already been arrested on Friday. A case was registered the same night against seven named and eight unidentified accused.Police seized a .315-bore country-made pistol, a spent cartridge case lodged in the weapon’s barrel, and a live cartridge from Maurya’s possession. The motorcycle he was riding did not have a registration number plate.Meanwhile, BJP MP from Pilibhit and Union minister Jitin Prasada met Gupta’s family on Saturday and assured them of his support.