Man Accused of Child Kidnapping and Murder Dies After Police Shooting in Gujarat
An accused in the kidnapping and murder of a four-and-a-half-year-old girl in Anand district, Gujarat, died after being shot by police late Sunday night, July 19, 2026. Police officials stated that the incident occurred when the accused attempted to escape custody and attacked two police officers with a concealed knife.
Inspector General of Police, Ahmedabad Range, Raghavendra Vatsa, told reporters on Monday that the accused, identified as Suresh Parmar, was shot in self-defence after he continued assaulting the officers despite warnings to surrender. Two police personnel sustained injuries in the attack and are undergoing treatment.
According to police, the victim, the daughter of migrant labourers, was sleeping with her parents on a platform at Vasad railway station when she was abducted around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. Her body was discovered on the railway tracks early Sunday morning. CCTV footage from the station allegedly showed Parmar taking the child away, leading to a search operation involving the Railway Police, Anand district police, Local Crime Branch (LCB), Special Operations Group, and Vasad police.
Parmar, a resident of Borsad town in Anand district, was arrested by Borsad Rural Police late Sunday and handed over to the LCB for further investigation. Police said that while the LCB team was transporting him to Anand town that night, Parmar asked the escorting officers to stop the vehicle, claiming he needed to vomit. Once the vehicle halted, he allegedly pulled out a concealed knife and attacked two policemen in an attempt to escape.
A sub-inspector repeatedly warned Parmar to surrender, but he continued the assault, forcing the officer to open fire in self-defence, police said. Parmar sustained a bullet injury and was taken to a hospital in Karamsad, where he died during treatment in the early hours of Monday. The two injured policemen are receiving medical care.
The incident has raised questions about police encounters in India, where cases of alleged extrajudicial killings have been reported. Authorities have stated that a routine inquiry into the shooting will be conducted as per standard procedure. The investigation into the kidnapping and murder of the child continues.
