The prime suspect in the brutal Govindpuri double murder case in Delhi has been apprehended following a dramatic police encounter, bringing a step closer to justice for the victims.
The main accused in the double murder of a woman and her teenage son in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri was arrested after a brief encounter with police, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, Saurabh, a distant relative of the deceased, sustained a bullet injury in his leg during retaliatory firing by police after he allegedly opened fire at the police team in the Govindpuri area late Friday night, they said.
According to police, Saurabh was wanted in connection with the murder of Sharda Sahu (38) and her 13-year-old son. The two were stabbed to death inside their house in Govindpuri in the early hours of Thursday.
Based on a tip-off, the accused was traced to the Ghati Park area, where he was consuming smack. Police reached the spot and attempted to surround him. The accused was repeatedly asked to surrender, but he fired four rounds at the police team in an attempt to escape, police said.
The police team retaliated in self-defence and a bullet struck Saurabh in the leg. He was subsequently overpowered and taken into custody before being shifted to a hospital for treatment, they said.
No police personnel were injured in the exchange of fire.
The arrest comes a day after the investigators identified Saurabh through CCTV footage. Police had earlier said the accused was known to the family of the deceased and was suspected of having entered the house without resistance.
Police suspect that Saurabh, a drug addict, attacked Sharda with a knife before killing her son, who had tried to intervene. Police are also probing whether robbery was the motive behind the murders as cash and valuables were missing from the house.
The role of other persons, including family members, is also being examined, police said.