Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 17 (ANI): Two accused in a murder case were injured in a police encounter in Ghazipur district after they opened fire on a police team, officials said.

Saidpur Circle Officer Ram Krishna Tiwari said the Saidpur police team received a tip-off that two murder accused were walking towards Semal village. Upon reaching the spot, police spotted the suspects and opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

'The Saidpur police team received a tip-off from an informant about two people accused of murder, walking towards Semal village. Acting swiftly, the in-charge inspector of Saidpur police station called the PS in-charage and gathered a force to intercept them. Upon arrival, the police spotted the criminals and opened fire, leading to a shootout,' Tiwari said on Saturday.

In the retaliatory firing, one accused was shot below both knees, while the other sustained a bullet injury below his left knee. Both were taken to Saidpur for medical treatment, police said. During the search, police recovered two .315-bore pistols, two empty cartridges and one live cartridge from their possession.

'The criminals took cover behind a construction site... In the exchange, one criminal was shot below both knees, and the other below his left knee. Both were immediately taken to Saidpur for treatment. During the search, two .315-bore pistols, two empty cartridges, and one live cartridge were found. Their criminal history revealed they were wanted in a murder case with a Rs 25,000 bounty. Legal proceedings are underway based on the recovered evidence,' he added.

Earlier in April, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the BJP government over crimes against women following the death of a minor girl in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.

A minor girl who went missing on April 14 from a village in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur was found dead near a bridge over the Ganga River on April 15.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav also accused the BJP of pressurising the victim's father.

He said, 'The police officers and the BJP leaders tried to pressurise the father. I also shared the video. They were trying to convince the father. Wherever sorrow or suffering has occurred, the Samajwadi Party has always stood by. Uttar Pradesh has the worst numbers of atrocities against women. There is no bigger vulture party than the BJP.'

Earlier, Ghazipur Police said that the minor girl died by suicide and that the father's complaint did not mention rape.

The police posted on X, 'On the morning of April 15, 2026, at 5:44 AM, the victim's father called Dial 112 and reported that the girl had jumped off a bridge and committed suicide. In the FIR registered based on the written complaint of the victim's father in this case, there is no mention of rape.'

'The postmortem of the victim also did not reveal any facts related to rape. Please do not spread any such unverified, factually incorrect, and misleading rumours that disrupt peace in society,' Ghazipur Police said in the statement.

The police further said that one accused has been arrested in connection with the case of murder, while 10 others have been arrested for stone-pelting. Further arrests are underway. (ANI)