In gangster’s death in police encounter, 72-year-old Shamli trader finds ‘closure’ to son’s murder

3 min readLucknowJun 27, 2026 08:20 PM IST

Police said he was currently wanted in two robbery cases registered earlier this year, and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for information leading to his arrest. (File Photo)

Raheesuddin (72), a Shamli-based trader, on Friday heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that the history-sheeter accused of killing his 12-year-old in 2000 was killed in a police encounter.

The 37-year-old accused, a minor at the time of the murder of Raheesuddin’s son Arif, faced 47 criminal cases of murder, robbery, dacoity and extortion registered against him in Shamli, Saharanpur and Haryana’s Panipat district, police said.

In a video doing rounds on social media, the trader is purportedly heard saying, “Today, after hearing that the man accused of murdering my son was killed in a police encounter, I feel that I have finally found some peace. I thank the Shamli police and the police of this country. I have waited for this day for a long time.”

He adds, “He killed my son. He was cruel. People who commit such killings should not be allowed to remain in society.”

According to the Shamli police, the first FIR against the history-sheeter was filed for the killing of Raheesuddin’s son. He was one of the three persons accused of murder.

The case remains pending before the Juvenile Justice Board, Shamli Superintendent of Police (SSP) Narendra Pratap Singh said.

Police said he was currently wanted in two robbery cases registered earlier this year, and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for information leading to his arrest.

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The police said on Friday morning, two brothers lodged a complaint after they were allegedly robbed at gunpoint when on their way to their fields. The brothers were riding a motorcycle when two men intercepted them, threatened them with a firearm and robbed them of a mobile phone, cash and the key to the motorcycle, it was alleged.

When the brothers resisted, the assailants allegedly opened fire before fleeing. Based on the complaint, police registered a case against two unidentified suspects in Shamli. Police said they subsequently received information about the suspect’s whereabouts and surrounded him during a joint operation. The police said on seeing them, the accused opened fire in an attempt to escape, prompting the team to retaliate. The suspect and a police sub-inspector were injured in the exchange of fire, it was claimed.

Both the injured were taken to hospital where doctors declared the suspect dead while the sub-inspector is undergoing treatment, officials said.

The police said the suspect’s accomplice escaped by taking advantage of darkness and the standing crop in nearby fields. A combing operation is underway to trace him, they added.