Bahraich Police Encounter: Vehicle Thief Shot and Arrested in UP
BAHRAICH: A suspected vehicle thief was injured and arrested after an exchange of fire with police late Tuesday night in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, police said on Wednesday, September 23. Two other suspects escaped, and officers launched a search operation.
The Bahraich police encounter took place near the Chikaniya Canal as police teams were checking routes leading to Nepal as part of an ongoing campaign against vehicle theft. According to ANI, police identified the arrested suspect as Abdul Salam, a resident of the Rupaidiha area.
Police Say Suspect Opened Fire
Superintendent of Police Bahraich Vishwajeet Srivastava said police received information about suspected vehicle thieves and set up a blockade on routes towards Nepal. Three people were later seen approaching on two motorcycles, according to the police account.
Police said two of the men turned back and fled when officers attempted to stop them. The third suspect allegedly opened fire at the police team, after which officers returned fire and hit him with a bullet.
The injured suspect was taken into custody and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. No police injury was reported in the account reviewed for this report. The vehicle thief shot during the exchange was subsequently placed under treatment, police said.
Stolen Motorcycle Recovered
Police said a motorcycle was recovered from Abdul Salam and was identified during preliminary checks as stolen. Police also said the suspect told investigators that he and his associates had collected several motorcycles and planned to transport them to Nepal for sale.
That account remains part of the ongoing investigation. The recovery of one motorcycle and the police allegations do not by themselves establish the suspect’s guilt in any wider vehicle-theft network.
The incident has become part of UP crime news coverage involving police operations against vehicle theft along routes near the Nepal border. Authorities have not publicly released details identifying the two accomplices who escaped.
Search Underway For Two Suspects
Police said teams were continuing to search for the two people who fled during the encounter. Investigators are expected to examine the recovered motorcycle, the suspected cross-border movement of stolen vehicles and the circumstances of the exchange of fire.
The case also follows a recent late-night police encounter in Delhi in which police said an accused in a murder case opened fire at officers before being arrested.
For now, the Bahraich police encounter remains based on the police account released after the operation. Further details about the alleged vehicle-theft network, the escaped suspects and any charges filed against Abdul Salam may emerge as the investigation continues.
As the vehicle thief shot in the exchange remains under treatment, investigators are focusing on the alleged stolen motorcycle, the two escaped suspects and whether additional vehicles can be linked to the case.
