Constable gunned down after history sheeter and his kin open fire at police team in UP's Kannauj

Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh): A constable was shot dead when a police team that had gone to arrest a history-sheeter came under fire from his family members, officials said on Tuesday.

The alleged criminal and his son were also shot in the exchange of fire in Vishungarh police station area here and were then sent to a hospital in Kannauj for treatment, they said.

Police constable Sachin Rathi (28) sustained a bullet injury in the incident and was sent to Kanpur for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries, Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar Anand said.

Rathi, who was recruited into the police force in 2019, was to get married to another constable this coming February, his family members said.

The SP said Ashok Kumar alias Munna Yadav was a history-sheeter with 20 cases registered against him and there was a non-bailable warrant against him.

On Monday police received information that Kumar was at his home following which a police team of Chhibramau and Vishungarh police station jointly laid siege to the house, Anand told reporters.

Kumar, his wife and son opened fire at the police team as soon as the police team arrived at the spot in Dharni Dheerpur Nagariya village, the SP said.

Constable Rathi was shot in the thigh and was rushed to Kanpur for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries late in the night, he said.

The history-sheeter and his son have been sent to Tirva Medical College in Kannauj, he added.

Anand said that two pistols have been recovered from Kumar and his son with which they were firing at the police. During a search at the house, a double barrel rifle was also found, police said.

The mortal remains of the deceased were given full state honours at the police lines in the afternoon by officers, including SP Anand.

Later, family members took the mortal remains of the deceased to Muzaffarnagar. Rathi’s family members and the woman he was to marry in two months were inconsolable.

Constable Rathi hailed from Shahdavar village in Budhana area of Muzaffarnagar district. Rathi was earlier posted in Saurikh police station in Kannauj district and later he was posted at Vishungarh police station.