Omar Rashid 
New Delhi: A 29-year-old man, accused of rape and loot, was shot dead by police in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura in the early hours of June 1, 24 hours after he had been shot thrice in his legs in another alleged “encounter.”
After the first “encounter,” in which the accused person Manoj alias Uttam was injured, he escaped from police custody from the hospital where he was being treated. He was then intercepted and shot dead in a second “encounter.”
This is how the state’s latest “encounter” killing unfolded, as per the information of official narrative gathered by The Wire through police statements and FIRs.
Manoj, who was jailed for raping a woman in his village at gunpoint in 2015 and looting a woman’s purse in another incident, was out on parole May 15. Ten days later, police alleged, on May 25 he raped an elderly woman in the Mahavan area after luring her to her motorbike under the pretext of giving her a lift. Manoj allegedly drove the woman to an isolated spot and robbed her earrings, anklet and a nose ring before raping her, alleged police.
In the intervening night of May 30 and 31, a special operations group team of the UP police along with police personnel from two police stations – Shergarh and Mahavan – intercepted a man on a motorcycle near Jagdispur underpass during a checking operation.
“Police directed him to stop but he fired at the police team. Police fired back at him in self-defence. Three bullets hit both his legs,” said Trigun Bisen, Superintendent of Police, Rural, Mathura. Manoj was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment, said police.
Manoj being arrested after being shot in the legs on May 31. Photo: UP Police
Officers claimed they recovered a country-made pistol, cartridges and a motorcycle from Manoj. The accused person carried a bounty of Rs 25,000 on him at the time of his arrest, around 1:10 am, May 31.
Manoj was taken to a community health centre at 2:15 am but referred to the district hospital at 3 am under the supervision of two constables. However, at around 11 am on May 31, he escaped from police custody, according to the FIR lodged at Kotwali police station by Station House Officer Asha Chaudhary.
Additional Director General of Agra Zone declared a bounty of Rs 50,000 on Manoj.
In the early hours of June 1, police intercepted Manoj coming on a motorcycle towards the Lohari Mata Mandir trijunction during a vehicle checking operation. An informant had tipped them off, said police.
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Since it was late and passers-by were unwilling to stand as witnesses, police could not record the names or addresses of any independent public witness, said SHO Shergarh Sonu Kumar in an FIR lodged after the incident.
Police claimed that Manoj turned his motorcycle towards an empty field to avoid the police checkpoint. He fell off the bike as he was continuously looking back at the police behind him and hit a raised portion of the field, said the FIR.
Police said Manoj fired at them despite appeals to him to surrender. SHO Kumar said he and the chief of the SOG team were hit by bullets but saved by their bullet proof vests. Police said they fired back at Manoj, who was found with a bleeding injury on his chest. Five policemen fired one bullet each in a controlled manner targeting his lower body, police said in the FIR. At around 3:20 am on June 1, he was taken to a community health centre where doctors declared him dead.
A .32 bore pistol and cartridges were recovered from him.
Shailesh Pandey, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura said “Many teams were formed to nab him. And within 24 hours, this miscreant, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, was killed in an encounter.”