Gorakhpur NEET student murder case: Prime accused arrested after encounter | Lucknow News
LUCKNOW: A day after the brutal killing of 19-year-old NEET aspirant Deepak in Gorakhpur, police arrested Rahim, one of the prime accused, following a gunfight on Ramkola Road in Kushinagar on Wednesday. Rahim, who was attempting to flee towards Nepal, sustained bullet wounds in both legs during the encounter and was admitted to a hospital. A country-made pistol and the motorcycle used in the crime were seized, police said. Kushinagar SSP Santosh Mishra said Rahim’s role surfaced during the interrogation of co-accused Ajab Hussain, who was nabbed by villagers on the night of the crime. CCTV footage further confirmed his involvement. Acting on a tip-off, police teams intercepted Rahim near Ramkola, where he opened fire before being injured in retaliatory firing.
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Gorakhpur SSP Rajkaran Nayyar said three other accused—Ajab Hussain, Chhotu, and Raju—are already in custody, while two more remain at large. STF teams have been deployed to trace them. The murder sparked outrage after Deepak, who dreamed of becoming a doctor, was abducted and beaten to death by cattle smugglers in Pipraich on Monday night. His mutilated body was recovered hours later, four kilometres from his home. In the aftermath, Gorakhpur police suspended four personnel, including Jungle Dhooshan outpost in-charge Jyoti Narayan Tiwari, for dereliction of duty. ADG (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash rushed to Gorakhpur to oversee the crackdown. Police said 10–12 smugglers had arrived in pickup trucks to loot a furniture shop when villagers confronted them, leading to chaos in which Deepak was abducted and killed. So far, four accused have been held, while two others are still on the run, with rewards announced for their arrest.
