Ranit Kr. Singh , Lucknow - A prime suspect carrying a ₹1 lakh bounty was killed in a shootout with Uttar Pradesh police in Jaunpur late Sunday night, officials confirmed Monday. Ravi Yadav, the main accused in the May 1 murder of a groom during his wedding procession, was critically injured during retaliatory fire after he and an accomplice allegedly shot at a chasing police team during a vehicle checkpoint interception. Yadav later succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a local hospital, while his associate managed to escape. One police officer sustained a hand injury, and another escaped unharmed after a bullet struck his bulletproof jacket.

Investigations revealed that Yadav had allegedly conspired with the bride’s cousin, Pradeep Bind, and another associate, Bhole Rajbhar, to execute the groom, Azad Bind. According to the police, Pradeep was deeply deeply unhappy with the love marriage between Azad and Soni Bind, whose wedding had been fixed six months prior despite strong opposition from some relatives. On the wedding night, Rajbhar tracked the groom's real-time location, allowing two masked shooters on a motorcycle to intercept the wedding car, knock on the window, and open indiscriminate fire the moment the glass was rolled down. Azad Bind, a Pune-based private company employee, died on the spot.

The killing marks the latest in a series of controversial encounter killings under the Uttar Pradesh government's strict zero-tolerance policy against crime, which authorities maintain are acts of self-defense. The suspects were initially identified through CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, leading to verification by both the bride and the groom's brother. Based on a formal complaint filed by the victim's father, Ram Lakhan Bind, a massive police crackdown has already led to the arrest of 13 other individuals for allegedly sheltering and assisting the accused following the murder.