Fugitive held after SUV overturns during chase

Lucknow: A wanted criminal, accused in an attempted murder case in Ayodhya, was arrested in Lucknow on Sunday after his SUV overturned in a roadside drain while he was allegedly trying to evade police.

The accused, identified as Rohan Singh, a resident of Anjrauli Pure Bediyan village in Ayodhya’s Khandasa area, was wanted in connection with a recent attack and attempted murder case registered at Kumar Ganj police station.

According to the police, Rohan was on the run after being named in a case involving a violent assault on members of a family in Ayodhya. Acting on intelligence inputs, Ayodhya police traced his location to Lucknow and launched a joint operation with personnel from BKT, Mahingwa and Sarojini Nagar police stations to apprehend him.

The police said Rohan was travelling in an SUV and attempted to flee when he realized that police teams were closing in on him. During the chase in the Mahingwa area, the vehicle went out of control and overturned into a roadside drain. Despite the accident, the accused managed to crawl out of the overturned vehicle and attempted to escape on foot. However, the police chased him and arrested him after a brief pursuit.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Sheetla Prakash Pandey, a resident of Pure Vindhya Pandey village under Kumar Ganj police station in Ayodhya. Pandey alleged that on the evening of May 21, Rohan and his associates arrived at his residence and launched a murderous assault on him. Family members later alleged that despite complaints, effective action was not initially taken against the accused. Subsequently, on Tuesday, Shivam Pandey, the son of the complainant, was also allegedly attacked in another incident.

Based on a complaint lodged by Shivam’s mother Neelam Pandey the police registered an FIR against Rohan, Himanshu, and four unidentified persons under charges, including attempt to murder. Since then, the police had been searching for the accused. After receiving information about his presence in Lucknow, Ayodhya police coordinated with local police units and laid a trap to arrest him.

The police said the accused is being questioned and further legal proceedings are underway. Investigators are also examining the role of other accused persons named in the case and efforts are underway to apprehend them.