The main accused in the Rae Bareli lynching case was arrested following a shootout on Friday, said police. Police said the accused, Deepak Agrahari, carried a reward of Rs 25,000 and had been absconding since the incident. On October 2, at Dandepur Jamunapur village in Rae Bareli, the victim, Hariom (38), was allegedly mistaken for a drone thief. He was apparently on his way to Amiliya ka Purva village, 8 km away, where his estranged wife and daughter lived with his father-in-law. Over the next few hours, Hariom was slapped, kicked, stripped, beaten with belts and canes and taken from one place to another in Dandepur Jamunapur as the mob of about a hundred asked him to lead them to his alleged accomplice. Videos of the attack show the mob assaulting him while repeatedly asking, “Saathi kahan hai (where is your accomplice)?”. He was eventually left to die near the railway tracks across the road from the village. Police said on Friday, they received information that Deepak was in the jurisdiction of Dalmau police station. A joint police team from Dalmau and Unchahar police station, as well as members from the Special Operations and Surveillance groups, was formed to conduct checks. Officers said Deepak was spotted near the Ganga Ghat area and tried to escape on seeing the police. As the police team drew closer, officers said he opened fire. “The accused was shot in the left leg when police fired in self defence. He was later taken to the Community Health Centre, Dalmau, and then referred to the district hospital in Rae Bareli. No police personnel were injured in the encounter,” said police. Deepak is a resident of Majra Pachkhara village. “. A total of 12 people involved in the incident have been arrested so far and 10-15 other people involved in the incident have been identified. Raids are being conducted in other districts and states. The remaining accused will be arrested soon and strict legal action will be taken against them as well,” said Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, Additional Superintendent of Police, Rae Bareli.
