Man wanted in religious conversion case arrested after encounter

AYODHYA: A man wanted in a case of unlawful religious conversion lodged by a Scheduled Caste (SC) person in Ayodhya and carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head, has been arrested after a brief encounter.

Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Prashant Verma said the encounter took place under Cantt police station limits near Tile Wali Masjid when the accused, Nisar a.k.a Raju's, movement was tracked there on Tuesday.

He said that the accused tried to flee and accelerated his motorcycle towards Bandha Road when asked to stop and opened fire on the police team.

He said the two bullets fired by the accused hit the police vehicle in which the personnel narrowly escaped and then fired in retaliation.

The SSP added that the accused suffered a gunshot on his right leg and fell on the ground following which he was arrested and taken to the Ayodhya district hospital for treatment.

Verma said the accused was wanted in a case lodged by one Jagveer Kori, resident of Haiwatpur village under Ayodhya police station limits a month ago.

He said the complainant had alleged that the accused mounted pressure on him to embrace Islam and threatened him with dire consequences. He was also beaten for refusing to convert.

Ayodhya Kotwali police station in-charge Ashwani Pandey said the FIR was lodged under IPC sections 147 for rioting, 323 for voluntarily causing hurt, 504 for insulting, 506 for criminal intimidation and section 3/2(5) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Act for atrocities against Dalits.

Besides, section 3/5(I) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act was also slapped against him.

Pandey said that the accused had a previous criminal background and cases related to attempt to murder and under Arms Act for illegal possession of firearms were registered against him in the recent past.