Man fires near Taj Mahal barricade, held in Lucknow

Hindustan Times

a day ago

Security near the Taj Mahal came under scrutiny on Monday morning after a man opened fire in the air when his car was stopped from entering a restricted yellow zone near the monument's western gate. The incident, which occurred around 9:30 am, triggered a multi-district manhunt. The accused was arrested by the Lucknow Police within seven hours, police said. The accused was identified as Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Azamgarh (Sourced)
According to officials, the man, identified as Pankaj Kumar, was travelling in a hired vehicle when police personnel asked him to halt at a barricade and park in the designated parking area near the western gate. Instead, he allegedly attempted to bypass the barrier and, while reversing, fired a shot in the air before fleeing the area.
Taking note of the incident due to its proximity to the world heritage monument, Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar directed a swift investigation. A team led by assistant commissioner of police (Law & Order), Aditya, began scanning CCTV footage from the vicinity to trace the vehicle and identify the individuals inside.
'The vehicle was located through surveillance footage. The driver was from Goverdhan in Mathura and disclosed during questioning that the car had been hired from Vrindavan by one Pankaj Kumar for a trip to the Taj Mahal,' ACP Aditya said.
After the firing incident, the accused reportedly abandoned the car in Agra's Itimad-ud-Daulah area and booked another vehicle to continue his escape. 'The second vehicle was later spotted on CCTV travelling along the Agra-Lucknow Expressway,' said Syed Areeb Ahmed, assistant commissioner of police (Taj Security) at Agra Commissionerate.
An alert was issued, and police teams in Kannauj, Unnao, and Lucknow were informed. The suspect was intercepted and arrested near Manak Nagar police station in Lucknow later the same day.
Following his arrest, the accused was identified as Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Azamgarh. During the investigation, his family members informed the police that he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for the past 20 years at Noor Manjil Psychiatric Centre.
'His condition was confirmed by the family, and relevant documents are being verified. The incident is being investigated under applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act,' ACP Ahmed said.