Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested three men in separate encounters in Bahraich and Mathura districts, with two of the accused sustaining bullet injuries in what police described as retaliatory firing, news agency IANS reported on Friday. Both injured men were admitted to hospital.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

In Bahraich, a history-sheeter identified by police as Babbu was shot in his right leg late on Thursday night in Payagpur and arrested. Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava said police acted on an informer's tip about a suspicious person near the railway underpass culvert in Payagpur, allegedly planning theft or the sale of stolen goods.

Police said Babbu, a resident of Babya village, took cover behind the railway tracks and allegedly opened fire at the police team, which retaliated in self-defence. Officers said they recovered an illegal .315-bore pistol, an empty cartridge case, two live cartridges, gold and silver jewellery and Rs 14,500 in cash from his possession. Police said he faces more than 25 criminal cases across Lucknow, Faizabad (Ayodhya), Gonda and other districts — an allegation-stage police account that will be tested in court.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

Mathura: two alleged robbers held after second encounter

In Mathura, a joint team of Jait police station personnel, the SWAT team and the surveillance unit arrested two alleged robbers after an encounter on Wednesday night near Nagla Pisawa turn, ahead of Maharishi School on the Govardhan-Ral Road. Circle Officer (Sadar) Varun Singh said the operation followed two purse-snatching incidents reported on November 10 near Radhakund Road (Chhatikara) and Maghera Temple (Ral), in which two women travelling in an auto-rickshaw and an e-rickshaw were targeted.

Police said that around 10.30 pm on November 12 they received information that the suspects were moving on the Radhakund-Govardhan Road. When officers tried to stop two men on a motorcycle without a number plate, the men allegedly opened fire. In the retaliatory firing, Jagdish alias Kale (27) was injured in the leg and hospitalised; the second accused was identified as Ram Kishan (34). Police said Jagdish faces 14 criminal cases and Ram Kishan three, and that Rs 11,500 in cash, two stolen mobile phones, two ATM cards, two Aadhaar cards, the numberless motorcycle, a pistol and cartridges were recovered.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

All three accused are in custody or under treatment in hospital, and police said further legal action is under way in both districts. The encounter accounts above are the police version as reported by IANS; the accused have not been convicted in these cases.