Days after he was on the run after a triple murder in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, Jeetu Saini was killed in an exchange of fire with a police team early on Thursday. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000.
The encounter took place near the Dharau police outpost.
According to officials, two men on a scooter were asked to stop but tried to flee while opening fire. Police chased them and surrounded them on Jhajhar Road, where firing continued.
“When police resorted to retaliatory firing in self-defence, one accused sustained bullet injuries while the other managed to escape under the cover of darkness,” an official told news agency PTI.
Saini was taken to a hospital and later referred to a district facility, where doctors declared him dead.
Two police personnel were injured in the exchange. Police recovered an illegal .32 bore pistol, cartridges and a scooter without a number plate from the spot.
Saini was on the run in a case related to a shooting on April 25 during a birthday gathering in Khurja, where three members of a family were killed. The victims were identified as Amardeep, 30, Manish, 28, and Akash, 18.
What was meant to be a celebratory gathering at a local gym and later near a residence soured when the victims reportedly applied cake to the face of the birthday boy, Jeetu Saini. The playful gesture was met with unexpected hostility, leading to a heated argument.
Sanjay Saini, the brother of one of the victims, recounted a chilling sequence of events. He claimed that following the initial argument, the accused retreated only to return with an arsenal of firearms.
Sanjay received a call from the accused party claiming his brother was “abusing” them. Sanjay attempted to de-escalate, promising to resolve the matter in the morning.
“It was Jeetu Saini, son of Subhash Halwai’s birthday. He invited people here. These people argued and left our Amardeep behind. I got a call saying, ‘Your brother is abusing’. I told them that I’ll talk to them in the morning, as I had to attend a wedding,” he told ANI at the time.
He further alleged that the accused returned armed and escalated the situation, killing the three victims.
With Saini’s death, police said six accused have been taken into custody so far. Two others had been arrested a day earlier after a separate encounter.
Saini’s body was brought to his residence, where a large police presence has been deployed as a precaution.
Family members of the victims said they were satisfied with the police action and expressed their gratitude to the state authorities. They have also demanded the demolition of properties linked to the accused.
(With inputs from agencies)
