AYODHYA: After a brief confrontation, a man who was wanted in connection with an illegal religious conversion complaint filed by a Scheduled Caste (SC) person in Ayodhya, and carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head, was apprehended.

The encounter took place within the confines of the Cantt police station, close to the Tile Wali Masjid, said Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Prashant Verma. On Tuesday, the accused, Nisar a.k.a. Raju, was being followed there.

When instructed to stop, the suspect allegedly rushed his motorcycle toward Bandha Road before firing on the police squad. He said,  the accused fired two rounds at the police car, just missing the people inside, and then opened fire in reprisal.

The culprit was shot in the right leg, the SSP said, and fell to the ground. He was then apprehended and sent to the Ayodhya district hospital for treatment. In a case filed by one Jagveer Kori, a resident of Haiwatpur hamlet within the boundaries of Ayodhya police station, a month prior, Verma claimed the culprit was wanted.

He said that the accuser had allegedly put pressure on the complainant to convert to Islam and threatened him with terrible consequences. For refusing to convert, he was also physically assaulted.

In-charge of the Ayodhya Kotwali police station IPC sections 147 for rioting, 323 for intentionally inflicting harm, 504 for insulting, 506 for criminal intimidation, and section 3/2(5) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Act for atrocities against Dalits were the subjects of the FIR, according to Ashwani Pandey.

He was also charged under section 3/5(I) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Pandey said, the accused had a history of criminal background, and cases of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms under the Arms Act had just been filed against him.

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