Main accused in Smriti Irani aide's murder held in encounter

The main accused in the killing of Surendra Singh - a close aide of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani - was arrested following an encounter with police in Amethi.      

Wasim was arrested in Shalhapur area under the Jamo police station on Thursday night following a brief encounter, Assistant Superintendent of Police Daya Ram said. The accused has sustained a bullet injury on his leg and was being treated in Jamo CHC hospital. The Jamo police station in-charge also suffered minor injuries in the gunfight.

Tight security arrangements have been put in place around the hospital and no one was allowed to meet him, the top cop said.

With this, all the five accused in the case have been arrested, he said.    

A case was registered against five people for killing Surendra Singh. Four other accused - Ramchandra, Dharmanath, Naseem and Golu - have already been arrested. Ramchandra is a member of the kshetra panchayat and also a local Congress leader, the police said.

Singh, 50, a former head of Baraulia village, around 25 km from the Amethi district headquarters, was shot at around 11.30 pm on May 25. He was referred to a Lucknow hospital, but succumbed to injuries during treatment.