Prime accused in Delhi cop’s murder shot dead in police encounter in Sangam Vihar

The official mentioned that the accused was immediately taken to the ESIC Hospital in Okhla, but he succumbed to his injuries. A pistol and two cartridges were also recovered from his possession.

A day after a Delhi Police constable lost his life in a fatal stabbing incident in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri area, officials on Sunday (November 24) stated that one of the prime accused in the case was shot dead in a police encounter in the Sangam Vihar area. According to the information released, the deceased has been identified as Raghav, who, along with two accomplices (Deepak Max and Krish Gupta), allegedly attacked Constable Kiran Pal as the latter was on a night patrol on Saturday.

The police stated that while Deepak Max and Krish Gupta were arrested later on Saturday only, the third accused, Raghav—who purportedly stabbed Pal with a knife—remained at large. However, upon receiving information about Raghav’s location in Sangam Vihar, the police quickly acted to apprehend him.

A senior police official said, "Acting on specific information, teams from the New Delhi Range (NDR) of the Special Cell and the Narcotics Cell of the Southeast District went to Sangam Vihar late on Saturday night to apprehend the accused. Despite being asked to surrender, Raghav opened fire on the police, who retaliated in self-defense, injuring him."

The official added, "He was immediately taken to the ESIC Hospital in Okhla, but he succumbed to his injuries." A pistol and two cartridges were recovered from Raghav’s possession.

About the incident

The three accused were involved in the brutal stabbing of Constable Kiran Pal, who was posted at Govindpuri Police Station. The constable was on night patrol duty when the trio attacked him after he stopped them for questioning in the early hours of Saturday.

According to officials, as the constable tried to stop the accused (who were on a two-wheeler), they initially threw stones at him in an attempt to evade arrest. Pal, however, managed to block their path by placing his bike in front of their vehicle. When he took the keys from their vehicle and began questioning them, the trio allegedly stabbed him.

Constable Kiran Pal cremated

Meanwhile, deceased constable Kiran Pal was cremated on Sunday with state honors. Several senior Delhi Police officials, including Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, attended the last rites.

"A heartfelt tribute to our brave Constable Kiran Pal, who made the supreme sacrifice demonstrating immense courage and commitment while carrying out his duties at Govindpuri Police Station. All Delhi Police personnel stand strongly with the grieving family," read a post by the Delhi Police on X.

(With inputs from PTI)