Wanted men on a train, child held hostage, 2 ‘encounters’: A police chase in three acts

3 min readLucknowUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 10:27 PM IST

Police in the field in Firozabad where the second suspect was killed in a shootout. (Photo -X/@etawahpolice)

What began as a police operation to arrest two wanted men on a train ended in a child being allegedly held hostage at gunpoint, two policemen being shot, and both suspects killed in separate encounters in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district on Friday afternoon, police said.

Police said the two men, wanted in robbery and snatching cases, were travelling on a train from Ghaziabad to Jharkhand, which was scheduled to halt at Shikohabad railway station in Firozabad.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Etawah travelled nearly 81 km to Shikohabad and laid a trap at the railway station.

What followed played out like a scene from an action flick.

9-year-old taken hostage, motorcycle stolen

According to police, when officers boarded the train to locate them, the assailants got off.

One of them allegedly grabbed a nine-year-old child, who was heading home from school, outside the station and held a pistol to the child’s head. Police claimed they used the child as a human shield while firing at the pursuing officers.

Police said the accused eventually let the child go. However, they allegedly snatched a motorcycle from a passerby and sped away while continuing to fire shots. Constable David Chauhan sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during the exchange, police said.

Story continues below this ad

Police chased them on their motorcycles. After a distance, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled in different directions, police said.

The pursuing team split into two and gave chase. “One of the assailants, Sumit Yadav alias Vivek, opened fire. Police fired back; he sustained gunshot wounds and died,” said a police officer.

Police said the second suspect, Ankit alias Seepu, fled into nearby fields. Police gave chase for 2 km before reinforcements from the Firozabad Police joined the pursuit. Ankit fired at them, said police, and a second constable, Pushpendra Chaudhary, suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Despite the injuries to their colleague, officers said the police teams continued the chase, surrounding the suspect in the fields. Another exchange of fire followed and Ankit was shot, they said. He later died of injuries.

Story continues below this ad

Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone) S K Bhagat, who reached the scene after the incident, said the confrontation took place in broad daylight after police tracked the two suspects following a tip-off. He said officers pursued the pair after they allegedly held a child at gunpoint while trying to evade arrest.

Sumit was a resident of Lucknow and Ankit was from Etawah. Both were in their 20s and carried rewards of Rs 25,000 each, police said.

Police records stated that Sumit had 26 criminal cases, while Ankit had three criminal cases registered against him.

Police said Ankit, was wanted in connection with a chain-snatching case registered at Ekdil police station on July 3 while Sumit was wanted in a robbery case registered at Chaubia police station.

Story continues below this ad

Both injured constables from the Etawah police, also in their 20s, are undergoing treatment.