In Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, a 32-year-old man named Mehnoor, accused of the rape and murder of a seven-year-old boy, was killed in a police encounter on Wednesday morning. The police, acting on a tip-off, surrounded the area to apprehend Mehnoor, who reportedly opened fire, resulting in a shootout. Mehnoor was critically injured and later died in a district hospital. A Special Operations Group official, Rajesh Kumar, sustained injuries during the incident and is receiving treatment. The boy's body was found in a maize field in Matiyamau village, and initial investigations indicated he was kidnapped and sexually assaulted before being murdered. In an attempt to mislead the investigation, Mehnoor allegedly made a ransom call using a stolen SIM card. The police had previously announced a reward of ₹50,000 for information leading to his capture. Mehnoor, a resident of Kannauj district, had a long criminal history with nearly a dozen cases registered against him. Authorities recovered a .32 bore pistol, a .315 bore country-made pistol, a motorcycle, and several cartridges from the encounter site.