Serial rapist shot & arrested, UP Police all set to impose NSA

Kannauj, June 24 (HS): A fugitive with eight criminal charges against him, including rape and murder of underage children, was apprehended by police here on Saturday following a brief gun confrontation, according to a senior officer. "Our team apprehended Ramji Verma, a resident of nearby Farrukhabad district Khudaganj. Verma has over eight cases against him in Kannauj and Farrukhabad, ranging from rape to murder of minor children," said Superintendent of Police Kunwar Anupam Singh. Verma had previously been arrested in a rape and murder case in 2019 and was now free on bail. He attempted to rape another 13-year-old girl in Kannauj in October 2022, authorities claimed.

Due to the paucity of witnesses in that case, authorities announced a Rs 1 lakh reward in January of this year for any information leading to the offender. Police were hot on Verma's tail after identifying him as the suspect approximately a fortnight ago. "After an encounter on Friday, Verma was surrounded by our team and arrested. During the encounter, he was shot in the leg and was taken to the hospital for treatment," stated the SP. According to police documents, Verma abducted, sodomised, and murdered a five-year-old girl in 2018. A few months later, he sodomised another seven-year-old child and attempted to rape another kid the same year.

"In most cases, there were no eyewitnesses, and survivors were unable to identify the accused. As a result, it was extremely difficult to hunt Verma down and build a credible case against him," the SP stated. Meanwhile, authorities discovered that Verma had been sharing photographs and videos on social media of himself harassing youngsters. "We are looking into his social media accounts to get more information about his criminal activities," the official added, adding that Verma will face charges under the National Security Act.

Hindusthan Samachar/Abhishek Awasth