A man wanted in the brutal murder of a taxi driver was arrested after a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, officials confirmed on Friday.
The accused, Danish, carried a Rs25,000 reward for his role in the killing of Avneesh Dixit, a taxi driver whose body was discovered in the Roza police station area. Danish and his gang reportedly rented cabs, murdered the drivers, and fled with the vehicles.
According to Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, Danish attempted to escape to Nepal on Thursday night. Police intercepted him near the Puwaiyan bypass overbridge, where he allegedly abandoned his motorcycle and opened fire. In the retaliatory action, Danish was injured and later admitted to a hospital for treatment.
Police confirmed that 21 criminal cases have been registered against him.
Earlier, Gurusevak, another gang member who allegedly hired Dixit’s cab, was killed in a police encounter in Lucknow last Sunday.
Avneesh Dixit was reported missing by his son on October 8 after he failed to return home. His body was later found, but the vehicle remains untraced.
Authorities suspect the gang is involved in multiple similar murders, including a recent cab driver killing in Unnao.
SP Dwivedi stated that investigations are ongoing to trace the remaining gang members and recover the stolen vehicles.
