Delhi constable stabbed while on night patrol; accused shot dead in encounter

A day after the fatal stabbing of a Delhi Police constable, the main accused in the case was shot dead in an encounter by the personnel of the force in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar area, officials said on Saturday.

Constable Kiran Pal was stabbed to death by three people on Saturday while on night patrolling duty in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri area. Two accused -- Deepak Max and Krish Gupta -- were arrested later in that day.

The third accused, Raghav — who stabbed Pal with a knife — was hiding in Sangam Vihar, a senior police officer of Special Cell said.

Acting on specific information, teams of NDR of Special Cell and Narcotics Cell of South East District, went to the area connecting Sangam Vihar and Surajkund Road late on Saturday night, the officer said.

The accused was identified and asked to surrender. He, however, opened fire at the police personnel who retaliated in self-defence and injured the accused.

"He was immediately taken to the ESIC Hospital, Okhla, where he died," the officer said.

A pistol with two cartridges have been seized, the police officer said, adding no police official was injured in the encounter. The police suspect that the accused were drug addicts and engaged in petty crimes.

The stabbing of constable Kiran Pai

Constable Kiran Pal, posted at Govindpuri Police Station, was on night patrolling duty when he stopped three people riding a scooty in the early hours of Saturday.

The accused threw stones at the constable to evade arrest but he managed to waylay them by putting his bike in front of their vehicle, the officer said.

The constable also took away the keys of the scooty and started questioning the trio during which the accused stabbed him, the officer added.

Pal, who is originally from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, had joined the Delhi Police as a constable in 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)