30-YEAR-OLD SERIAL RAPE SUSPECT HELD AFTER SHOOT-OUT IN SURAJPUR

GREATER NOIDA: A 30-year-old serial rape suspect was arrested after an encounter in Surajpur on Monday night. A countrymade gun, a live cartridge and one stolen mobile phone were recovered from his possession, police said, adding that he was carrying a reward of ₹25,000 on his arrest.

The suspect was identified as Hari Shankar, a resident of Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh. He was living in Sector Eta 1 in Greater Noida, police said.

Vrinda Shukla, DCP (women safety), said that a woman had filed a complaint of rape against the suspect at Surajpur police station on February 25. “The woman said that she was returning home when the suspect overpowered her and raped her in the bushes in Surajpur,” she said. According to police, the suspect had threatened the woman of dire consequences if she reported the matter and also fled with victim’s ₹3,000 cash and a mobile phone.

A case was registered against the suspect under Section 376 (rape), Section 392 (robbery) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

On Monday evening, police received information about the suspect’s movement near the Greater Noida authority office. “A police team visited the spot and asked the suspect to surrender. He opened fire with a countrymade gun and tried to escape. In the counter firing, the suspect was injured in his leg and arrested,” Shukla said.

Police said Shankar had also committed rape and loot in 2019, and he was arrested and sent to jail. The suspect was released on bail recently and since then he has been involved in four cases of rape. However, only one woman approached police and filed a complaint, the officer said. The suspect used to stand near some deserted location and target vulnerable women. He then used to drag the victims in bushes and rape them, said police.

The suspect was produced in court and sent to judicial custody.