Headmaster’s Murder Accused Caught After Police Encounter in Ballia

A 24-year-old criminal, Nitish Kumar Singh alias Mohan Singh, was arrested in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday for his alleged role in the murder of a headmaster during a gold chain robbery. The arrest followed a dramatic police encounter in which Singh was shot in the leg, while his accomplice, Vikas Sonkar, escaped under the cover of darkness.

Circle Officer (Rasra) Alok Gupta reported that on the night of Friday, September 19, 2025, police signaled a motorcyclist to stop during routine checks. The suspect, later identified as Singh, attempted to flee and opened fire on the police with intent to kill. In self-defense, officers returned fire, injuring Singh in the right leg. He was subsequently apprehended and admitted to the district hospital for treatment. Police recovered a country-made pistol, cartridges, Rs 12,530, and the motorcycle used in the crimes.

During interrogation, Singh confessed to a series of robberies on September 16 in the Ubhaon area, including snatching a gold chain from female teacher Radhika Verma. On the same day, Singh and his associates targeted headmaster Devendra Pratap Yadav, 57, and assistant teacher Kanchan Singh, both from Belthara Road, as they rode home on a motorcycle after a school meeting in Deoria district. The criminals stole gold chains and rings, and when Yadav resisted, he was fatally shot. Kanchan Singh sustained injuries in the incident.

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Yadav, a resident of Yadav Nagar, served as headmaster of a government composite school in Deoria, while Kanchan Singh, from Bibipur, was an assistant teacher at the same institution. Efforts are underway to apprehend the absconding accomplice, Vikas Sonkar, as police intensify their investigation into the violent crime spree.

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