Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Mar 22: Lucknow police on Friday shot dead Ajay Kumar, a 26-year-old autorickshaw driver accused of abducting and strangling a woman whose body was found two days ago in a mango orchard in Malihabad. Authorities suspect he may have attempted to rape her before killing her when she resisted.

The victim, a woman in her 30s, had gone missing after returning from another district. She was en route to a relative’s residence when Ajay, who was driving the autorickshaw, allegedly abducted her. Police revealed that he had 23 criminal cases against him and carried a Rs 1 lac reward for information leading to his arrest.

Earlier in the day, police arrested Ajay’s brother, Dinesh Kumar, 35, in connection with the case and recovered the victim’s educational certificates from his possession. However, Ajay managed to evade capture.

By Friday evening, police received a tip-off that Ajay would be traveling through Malihabad on a motorcycle. When confronted, he opened fire at police personnel, prompting retaliatory action. He was shot and later succumbed to injuries at the hospital.