Murder accused nabbed after encounter in Amethi: Police

One of the accused in the murder of a brick kiln owner was arrested following an encounter in which a constable was also injured, police said here on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team nabbed Chandra Shekhar Kesarvani on Friday night after a brief encounter on Saintha road here, Additional SP of Amethi Daya Ram Saroj said.

Kesarvani was one of the five accused named in the gunning down of brick klin owner Vijay Kumar Singh alias Sonu Singh (35) on Tuesday night in Bisundaspur village under in Gauriganj Kotwali police station area.

Police constable Rajesh Yadav was also injured in the encounter in which Kesarvani received bullet injuries in the leg.

While the constable is undergoing treatment at Amethi District Hospital, Kesarvani has been referred to trauma centre Lucknow, the ASP said.

The deceased Sonu's father Shivnayak Singh is a senior BJP leader of the district.

The family had named five people of Gauriganj including Kesarwani, having criminal record, behind the crime, the police said.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday removed Amethi District Magistrate Prashant Sharma, a day after a video clip of him meeting the bereaved family of Sonu Singh went viral on the social media.

On the demands of the family, Sharma had visited the post-mortem house on Wednesday, where the body of Sonu Singh was brought.

In the video clip that has gone viral, the DM is seen almost dragging a cousin of the deceased. Locals had expressed anguish over the administration's alleged insensitivity.