LUCKNOW, May 25 -- Two men accused of repeatedly targeting women in rural areas were killed in a police encounter in Aligarh district on Sunday evening, police said.

The two men had allegedly looted earrings from a woman earlier in the day, triggering an intensive search operation across the district.

According to police, the encounter took place near Madhauli village after teams tracking the accused intercepted them during a combing operation. The accused allegedly opened fire on the police team after being asked to surrender, leading to retaliatory firing in which both were killed.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Neeraj Singh Jadaun identified the deceased as Raja Mohammad, a resident of Rajapur village in Hapur district, and M...