Prime suspect in murder of five in Meerut killed in police encounter

Meerut (UP): A man who is the prime suspect in the murder of five of his family members and carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head was killed in a police encounter early morning on Saturday, officials said.

In a statement, police said that a team tracked down Jameel Hussain alias Naeem on Saturday morning and an encounter ensued. "Naeem sustained gunshot injuries and was declared dead at a nearby hospital," reads the statement.

Naeem was the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of five people -- his stepbrother Moin and his wife and their three children -- at the latter's residence at Lisari Gate on January 9.

The victims were found dead with head injuries. Following the murders, police had announced a reward for Naeem and his accomplice, Salman.

"Investigations revealed that Naeem, who had a history of criminal activities in Delhi and Thane, had been changing his name and location to evade arrest. The motive behind the heinous crime was a dispute over money and property," a statement shared by Director General of Police (DGP) of UP Prashant Kumar read.

A police team tracked down Naeem on Saturday morning. Police are still on the lookout for Salman.