A joint police team intercepted the accused near the Bulandshahr-Aligarh highway in the Arnia area around 2:30 pm.
Two of the alleged accused sustained bullet injuries to their legs during the exchange of fire with police.
“The arrested individuals have been identified as Sandeep, Gaurav and Amit. Sandeep and Gaurav were the ones injured in the encounter,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Dr Tejveer Singh.
The officer said that Sandeep and Amit are residents of Gautam Buddha Nagar district, while Gaurav hails from Ghaziabad district.
The police recovered illegal firearms, ammunition and the vehicle reportedly used in the commission of the crime from the possession of the arrested men.
The two injured accused have been admitted to a hospital for treatment.
Throwing light on the incident, Singh said, “On Tuesday evening, the accused had picked up two women from the Surajpur Police Station area of Gautam Buddha Nagar district and forced them into their car.” “One of the women was later pushed from the vehicle in the Jani Police Station area of Meerut district and has since succumbed to her injuries. The other woman was subjected to gang-rape inside the moving car,” he added.
An FIR in connection with the incident was registered under relevant sections of the BNS at the Khurja Police Station on Wednesday following a complaint lodged by the surviving victim, police said. PTI COR CDN AS AS
