Lucknow encounter: Wanted murder accused shot in leg, ₹25,000 reward on his head
Synopsis
A ₹25,000-reward wanted murder accused was shot in the leg and arrested in Lucknow's Krishna Nagar after he allegedly opened fire at a police team during a late-night checking drive. The arrest, paired with a separate deadly standoff in Azamgarh days earlier, underscores a sharp uptick in armed confrontations involving wanted criminals across Uttar Pradesh.
Key Takeaways
Bhola Rajput , 22 , a wanted murder accused carrying a reward of ₹25,000 , was shot in the right leg and arrested in Krishna Nagar, Lucknow on 29 September .
Police recovered an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol , one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, and a scooter from the accused.
Rajput was wanted under Section 103(1) of the BNS in connection with the murder of a woman.
He is currently admitted to Lok Bandhu Hospital for treatment of his bullet wound.
In a separate incident on 23 September in Azamgarh , accused Arvind — who shot his wife, two priests, and one of his own children — was killed in a police encounter; his son also died of injuries.
A 22-year-old wanted murder accused, identified as Bhola Rajput, was shot in the right leg and subsequently arrested during a police encounter in the Krishna Nagar area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, 29 September, according to officials. Rajput was carrying a reward of ₹25,000 and was wanted in connection with the murder of a woman.
How the Encounter Unfolded
The Krishna Nagar police and a surveillance team had launched an intensive checking drive in the area when officers flagged down a group of suspects. According to DCP Md Mustaque, one of the individuals opened fire at the police team, prompting officers to retaliate in self-defence.
'Tonight, an order was issued for an intensive checking drive. In line with that order, under the Krishna Nagar police station area, our police team stopped a few suspects. Among them, one accused fired at the police. In self-defence, the police team retaliated, during which one accused sustained a gunshot wound. He was immediately taken to the hospital for medical treatment,' DCP Mustaque said.
What Police Recovered
Following the encounter, officers recovered an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol, one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, and the scooter allegedly used in the crime from Bhola Rajput. He was subsequently admitted to Lok Bandhu Hospital for treatment of his bullet wound.
Rajput was wanted under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder. DCP Mustaque confirmed that a preliminary inquiry established his identity and his connection to the woman's murder case. 'In the initial inquiry, we got to know that his name is Bhola. He was wanted in connection with the murder of a woman and was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000. We have also recovered a pistol from him,' he said.
Separate Azamgarh Encounter on 23 September
This incident comes days after a separate and more volatile standoff in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, on 23 September, in which a man identified as Arvind shot his wife and two priests and held three children hostage before being killed in a police encounter. Arvind had also shot one of his own sons during the standoff.
Both Arvind and his son were taken to hospital, where they later died of their injuries, according to police. Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Varanasi Zone, Naveen Arora stated that police initially exercised restraint, as Arvind refused to come out of the house and demanded that officers wait until morning. The situation deteriorated after Arvind opened fire from inside the premises, forcing the police team to enter as a last resort.
Pattern of Encounters in Uttar Pradesh
The back-to-back encounters in Lucknow and Azamgarh reflect an ongoing pattern of armed confrontations between Uttar Pradesh police and wanted accused. Critics and civil liberties groups have, in past instances, called for greater transparency in documenting the sequence of events in such encounters. Authorities maintain that officers act within the bounds of law and in self-defence when fired upon.
Further investigation into the Lucknow case is underway, with police expected to file a detailed report on the encounter as per standard procedure.
Point of View
One in Azamgarh — point to a state policing posture that increasingly resolves standoffs through armed confrontation. While authorities maintain that officers retaliated only after being fired upon, the absence of independent verification in such cases remains a structural gap. Civil liberties advocates have long argued that encounter narratives in UP are rarely subjected to the kind of magisterial scrutiny that the law requires. The recovery of weapons and the reward status of the accused lend credibility to the police account in the Lucknow case, but the broader accountability framework deserves scrutiny regardless.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bhola Rajput and why was he wanted by police?
Bhola Rajput is a 22-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of a woman in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He was listed as a wanted accused under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and carried a police reward of ₹25,000 on his arrest.
What happened during the Lucknow police encounter on 29 September?
During an intensive checking drive in the Krishna Nagar area, police stopped a group of suspects, one of whom — identified as Bhola Rajput — allegedly opened fire at officers. Police retaliated in self-defence, injuring Rajput in the right leg. He was arrested and taken to Lok Bandhu Hospital for treatment.
What items were recovered from the accused?
Police recovered an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol, one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, and the scooter allegedly used in the original crime from Bhola Rajput.
What was the Azamgarh encounter on 23 September about?
On 23 September, a man identified as Arvind shot his wife and two priests and took three children hostage in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. He also shot one of his own sons during the standoff. After opening fire on police, Arvind was shot and killed; his injured son also later died in hospital.
What legal provision was Bhola Rajput charged under?
Bhola Rajput was wanted under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with the offence of murder.
