Five suspects involved in the Bahraich violence case were arrested on Thursday (October 17) following an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police, during which two of them sustained gunshot injuries, a senior official reported. The suspects were allegedly attempting to escape to Nepal, which shares a border with Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, according to the officer.
“Five accused have been arrested,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash informed. As of now, police have not confirmed any fatalities related to the encounter.
These suspects had already been identified as the primary culprits in the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra, who was shot dead during violent clashes that erupted on Sunday amid the Durga idol immersion riots in Maharajganj.
In a separate development, Rukhsar, the daughter of local landlord Abdul Hameed, claimed that her father, two brothers—Sarfaraz and Faheem—and another unidentified youth were detained by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF). She further alleged that her husband and brother-in-law were taken into custody earlier, but there has been no information from the police regarding their whereabouts.
“Yesterday at 4 o’clock, my father Abdul Hameed, my two brothers Sarfaraz and Faheem, and another youth were picked up by the UP STF. No news of them is being received from any police station,” NBT quoted Rukhsar as saying.
Following the riots, Maharajganj experienced significant unrest. However, peace was restored by Tuesday and Wednesday, and internet services, which had been suspended, were resumed in the area on Thursday.