Ghaziabad (UP), Oct 26 (PTI) A man accused of murdering a 23-year-old woman was arrested after an encounter with police personnel here on Thursday, officials said.

Azharuddin, a resident of Kaloo Garhi, and another person were on a motorcycle when they were signalled to stop for routine checking on Nayphal road but they opened fire while attempting to flee, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Wave City, Saloni Agarwal said.

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The official said the police team fired in self-defence and a bullet hit Azharuddin in his left leg, following which he fell from the two-wheeler.

The other rider managed to escape taking advantage of the commotion, the ACP added.

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She said Azharuddin was taken into custody and during interrogation, he confessed to killing Shazadi, alias Joya, at a hotel along National Highway-9 by drugging her and then smothering her with a pillow.

Azharuddin claimed that he was in a relationship with the victim and used to commit crimes for money to pay for her demands, police said.

He further claimed that he went to prison in a criminal case and after being released, he came to know that Shazadi was going to marry another man which drove him to hatch a plan to kill her, police officials said.

On October 20, Azharuddin took Shazadi to a hotel where they stayed the night and he killed her the next day, they said, adding that he informed the victim's brother about it a day later.

The woman's body was found in a room of the hotel with a pillow covering her face.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)