HOUR Safter his arrest in Bhopal on Thursday night, Salman alias Nazar, the main accused wanted in the heinous rape case of a six-year-old girl in Raisen district, was injured in a police encounter (short encounter) in the Obedullaganj area. The accused allegedly tried to escape from custody, snatched a police officer’s rifle, and fired shots. He is currently admitted to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, where his condition is reported to be stable. Firing during escape attempt: According to ASP Kamlesh Kumar, the accused Salman, who carried a Rs 30,000 reward, was apprehended from Gandhinagar, Bhopal, on Thursday night.

 

As the Gauharganj police team was transporting him to Raisen, the police vehicle suffered a tyre puncture in the jungle area of Obedullaganj. Between 3 and 4 am, as the accused was being shifted to another vehicle, he suddenly snatched the rifle of SubInspector Shyamraj Singh. Police reported that the accused fired two rounds at the scene and began fleeing towards the forest. Raisen SP Ashutosh Gupta stated that the police had to take retaliatory action in self-defence and shot the accused in the leg, injuring him.

 

SP Gupta affirmed that the accused will be given the strictest punishment according to the law. Social media alertness leads to arrest: The alertness of local youths and the pictures of the accused that went viral on social media played a crucial role in Salman’s capture. Salman alias Nazar was reportedly looking for a rented room in Sector-11, Gandhinagar, around 9 pm on Thursday night. A local youth noticed him loitering under suspicious circumstances. Having seen the rape accused’s pictures on reels, the youth became suspicious. The young man immediately took a photo of Salman and sent it to his friends.

 

The two friends rushed to the spot. When questioned, the accused identified himself as Nazar, further deepening their suspicion as this name matched Salman’s alias on social media. Fearing capture, when the accused tried to flee, the two youths detained him on the pretext of offering him tea at a nearby tea stall. Meanwhile, one youth phoned Police Constable Rahul Guru, who was previously posted at the Gandhinagar Police Station, and sent him the suspect’s picture. Rahul Guru immediately forwarded the photo to the Raisen Police, and within minutes, it was confirmed that he was the wanted accused.

 

Local residents mentioned that Salman was intoxicated and had been roaming the area for quite some time. When asked for identification, he claimed he had no documents or mobile phone. Some residents claimed he had lived in the same area two years prior as a painter. The brave young man who initiated the capture stated that if any reward is announced for their effort, then they wish the amount be handed over to the victim’s family.