Bidi, bullets and a 40-min standoff: Meerut murder accused surrenders in cane field

MEERUT: In a shot reminiscent of a criminal offence thriller, the Meerut constabulary on th nabbed a adult male accused of gunning down his wife’s alleged lover in a busy market, following a dramatic 40-minute standoff in a sugarcane field during which he repeatedly threatened officers with a country-made pistol before surrendering.According to police, the accused, Pradeep, was cornered by officers but refused to give himself up, alternately drinking water and smoking a bidi while pointing the weapon at them. Every time personnel tried to approach, he warned them he would shoot. After prolonged persuasion and assurances from senior officials, he finally surrendered and was taken into custody.The accused was booked under BNS section 103 (murder), said SSP Avinash Pandey.Also Read | ‘Will kill her also’: Chilling confession on bike, beedi around cops by Meerut man after killing wife's loverEarlier in the day, the body of the deceased Surendra Singh, 28, underwent a post-mortem examination. After receiving the body, relatives staged a road blockade instead of performing the last rites, demanding the accused’s arrest. Traffic queues stretched for long distances until police intervened and convinced the family to disperse after about 40 minutes by assuring them of swift action.Police said the shooting took place around 1:45pm Wednesday in the Ramraj area when Surendra was riding a motorcycle. Pradeep, a resident of Phalawad, arrived on another bike with his face covered by a cloth and carrying two country-made pistols. On spotting Surendra, he fired three shots — two into his waist from behind and a third at point-blank range to his temple, killing him instantly. Witnesses said after firing the first two shots, he shouted in the market challenging anyone to save the victim before firing the final shot.Investigators later found that Surendra allegedly had an affair with Pradeep’s wife and had eloped with her. He was reportedly planning to marry her. Police also learned the two men had argued recently over the relationship. CCTV footage from the scene purportedly shows a masked assailant, believed to be Pradeep, firing at the victim.After the murder, Pradeep circulated a four-minute video recorded while riding his motorcycle. In it, he abused his wife and Surendra, claimed he had “taken revenge”, and threatened to kill his wife as well. He declared he feared no one, challenged police officials and said he carried his own burial shroud and was ready to die.Pradeep insisted he was responsible for the crime and that neither his family nor friends were involved. He also displayed the pistol tucked into his pants and said he would throw it into a canal, urging viewers to make his video viral.In the same clip, he purportedly accused officers at Hastinapur police station of forcing him to take up arms by not providing court documents and even threatened them. He alleged the weapon had been arranged by a relative of the victim.SSP Avinash Pandey said the victim, also known as Sunil or Gaba and a resident of the Bahsuma police station area, was killed on Wednesday. The accused later released a video confessing to the crime and was arrested from Kalavda village.Police said further legal proceedings are underway and additional charges may be added based on evidence collected during the investigation.