3 days after Eid murder of Ghaziabad boy, accused teen killed in encounter

GHAZIABAD: The teenager accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old boy in Khoda Colony on Bakrid was killed in a police encounter early Sunday, capping nearly three days of grief, anger and tension in the neighbourhood off NH-9.Police said Asad, 19, the prime suspect in the murder of the boy from Navneet Vihar, was tracked to Vasundhara and died in hospital after being hit by a bullet in the leg during an "exchange of fire" with cops. TOI is withholding the victim's name because he was a minor.DCP Dhawal Jaiswal said police stations in both Khoda and Indirapuram received information that Asad - who carried a Rs 50,000 reward - was moving on a motorcycle with an associate. Police teams were deployed across Indirapuram and checking was intensified around Vasundhara junction.According to police, the two men were seen coming from the green belt side around 5.30am and were signalled to stop with a torchlight.Fight over bike ride led to Khoda boy's murder?Instead, they allegedly turned towards a nearby ground in Vasundhara Sector 1 and tried to flee. Police in hot pursuit, the two then allegedly opened fire at the cops. Even after their motorcycle skidded and fell, they allegedly took cover and continued firing with pistols. Police returned fire, taking cover behind vehicles and on the ground.In the exchange, Asad was hit and taken to hospital, where he died during treatment.Constable Anurag Rawat also suffered a bullet injury. The second suspect escaped in the dark, and combing operations were launched to trace him. Police said they recovered illegal pistols, live cartridges and a stolen Hero Xtreme motorcycle.The encounter came a day after police made three arrests in the murder case - Asad's father Nawab (45), and two associates, Farhan (19) and Aatif (19).According to police, a dispute broke out between the victim and Asad over a motorcycle ride on May 28. After Asad informed his father and friends, the group allegedly decided to "teach him a lesson".Around 3.30pm on Bakrid, they allegedly cornered the boy in Navneet Vihar. Farhan, police said, handed Asad a knife and Nawab allegedly told his son to kill the boy. The minor was stabbed in the stomach repeatedly.But the circumstances leading to the attack remain contested.A friend of the victim gave another account, saying they had been called to a neighbour's house on Bakrid, where Asad allegedly asked the boy if he had ever seen a goat being slaughtered and told him, "Come, we'll show you." When the boy refused and tried to leave, an argument followed and he was stabbed multiple times, the friend alleged.The boy was attacked near Sharma Dairy in Khoda and died during treatment at a Noida hospital the next day. His family alleged it was not a sudden fight, but a planned assault. In his complaint, the victim's elder brother said the boy was with two friends when he was confronted, abused and repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen. An FIR for murder and other relevant BNS sections was registered against five persons.The killing set off protests and communal tension in Khoda. More than 300 police personnel, including two PAC battalions, were deployed as grieving relatives delayed the cremation and demanded the arrest of everyone involved.Right-wing members, including former Khoda municipal council chairperson Reena Bhati and BJP functionary Ajay Sharma, visited the family. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said action would be taken "in keeping with the law".The boy's mother said "justice has started to be delivered", but demanded the harshest action against all involved in the case.