Murder accused arrested after brief encounter in Bhopal

The Bhopal Police on Wednesday arrested an absconding murder accused after a brief encounter in the Kerwa forest area in the Ratibad region on the outskirts of the state capital.

The accused, Asif alias Bam, is a history-sheeter and was absconding for the past three days after he allegedly killed a tea shop owner, Vijay Mewada, by stabbing him in the stomach late on Sunday night in the Ashoka Garden area.

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Acting on a tip-off that Asif was hiding in the forested Kerwa area, a police team reached the spot on Wednesday afternoon and surrounded him.

According to Ratibad police station in-charge Anurag Lal, Asif opened fire on the police team in a bid to escape. The police retaliated in self-defence, and a bullet hit him in the leg.

He fell to the ground and was arrested. Asif was taken to Hamidia Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment.

Two more co-accused, Imran and Farmaan, were arrested on Monday.

Meanwhile, Hindu organisations had been staging continuous protests, demanding the arrest of Asif Bam and stringent action against him.

On Wednesday afternoon, a large rally was also taken out towards the Chief Minister’s residence in Bhopal to press for Asif’s immediate arrest, but police prevented the protesters from proceeding further.

The timing of Asif’s brief encounter coincided with the rally organised by the Hindu organisations.