UP encounter: Notorious criminal gunned down in Muzaffarnagar
A notorious criminal wanted in around 13 cases of loot and murder and carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on…
The encounter of 28-year-old Irshad in Sardhana area in Tuesday morning have put the police in the dock with his family members raising questions over it.
Irshad died on Tuesday morning during an alleged exchange of fire with the police when a bullet pierced through his head. Raising questions over this encounter, his family members rejected the claim made by the police that he was a cow smuggler.
The police, however, claimed to have recovered a country made pistol from the spot which they said Irshad had used to fire at the police party.
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Irshad was a resident of Nangla village under Ratanpuri police station in Muzaffarnagar district and belonged to a family of farmers. His father Dilshad is a marginal farmer with 15 bighas of land. Irshad has two brothers and the land had been equally distributed among the three.
According to Irshad’s cousin Mohammad Furkan, Irshad had gone to irrigate his agricultural land in the Sardhana area of Meerut district on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, they were shocked to see the photograph of his deadbody on WhatsApp. The family then came to know that Irshad had been killed in an encounter with the police.
Furkan said he was never booked in any case and had never been in animal trade. “Innocent Irshad has been killed by the police,” he said, adding that his cousin was a hardworking man who also worked as a labourer to support his family.
SP (Rural) Rajesh Kumar admitted that no case was found against Irshad. He, however, said Irshad had been with his aides in the vehicle from which the police had been fired upon.
Irshad had sustained injuries in the exchange of fire and he succumbed to them while his aides managed to escape taking advantage of the darkness, said the SP.
Meanwhile, Suleman, Irshad’s uncle demanded a fair inquiry in the case saying the family was not convinced with the encounter theory.
Suleman, who had come to claim Irshad’s body, said they were approaching some lawyers and would fight for justice. The SP, however, said the family members had every right to express their grievances.
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