Ghaziabad Police Kills Surya Murder Accused Asad In Encounter, Constable Injured

Ghaziabad: Amidst massive outrage over Surya's murder, the Ghaziabad police shot dead Asad, the prime accused in the brutal killing, during a joint operation by Khoda and Indirapuram police stations on Saturday. The operation, led by DCP Dhawal Jaiswal’s team, turned into a full encounter after the suspect opened fire at the police team to evade arrest. According to the police, one police constable was injured in the exchange and taken for treatment.

As per sources, in the hours before the encounter, the murder in Khoda had already become the biggest criminal case dominating headlines across the national and state capital, after a teenager was stabbed to death on May 28. The police officials stated that the action was planned based on specific intelligence that placed Asad in the area. DCP Jaiswal supervised the field response to prevent further escalation and ensure that the suspect did not escape custody again.

Joint Operation Traces Suspect To Khoda

According to sources, the police had been tracking Asad since Surya was knifed in Khoda, throwing the locality into shock. The Khoda and Indirapuram units pooled resources to locate him and nab him at the earliest. The police sources said that when the cops moved in at his hideout, Asad allegedly fired at the team, forcing personnel to retaliate. During the confrontation, a constable was hit and remains under medical care at a nearby hospital. The police sources claimed that the injured cop was stable.

The police maintained that the operation followed protocol and was prompted by an immediate threat to life. DCP Dhawal Jaiswal, who commanded the Khoda mission, said that the team acted only after the suspect refused to surrender and attacked first.

Family Demands Justice

The murder that triggered the manhunt began on May 28 at around 3.30 pm, when the Khoda police received information that a youth had been stabbed by another boy. Indirapuram ACP Abhishek Srivastava stated that the police officers reached the spot immediately and moved the child to a nearby hospital, but he died during treatment. A written complaint was lodged by the family, the accused was booked under relevant sections, and teams were formed to trace Asad and his associates.

Surya’s mother asserted that her son was lured away on Eid by a youth named Arshad. She alleged that he was drawn into a conversation about animal slaughter before being attacked. “I was on duty when someone called to say my son had been stabbed. When I arrived around 7 o’clock, I saw his face. After that, I did not see it again for half a day,” she said. Through her grief, she had questioned the police response, asking why the attacker had not been caught within hours if action had been taken at 1 pm. 

Surya’s maternal aunt, Sunita, who reached the hospital first, said that her nephew was called from home under false pretences on Bakra Eid and asked how a goat is slaughtered. She said that as a Hindu child, Surya wouldn't know about the slaughtering of a goat. “They wanted to prove that first a goat was sacrificed and now they would sacrifice a human,” she alleged. The deceased's aunt, too, had expressed anguish over the delay, saying more than 24 hours had passed without an arrest, the administration was still asking for time, and the body remained at the hospital while electricity was cut to prevent protests. 

However, with the accused, Asad, now killed in an encounter with the police, the family continues to demand action against his remaining associates. Further details regarding the murder incident are awaited.