Meerut, June 27 -- A 23-year-old life convict who escaped from Bareilly Central Jail earlier this week was arrested in the early hours of Friday following a police encounter in Bareilly's Izzat Nagar area, officials said. The accused, identified as Dinesh Kumar, allegedly opened fire on a police team after being cornered while hiding in an abandoned building near the Nainital Highway. Police retaliated, injuring him in the leg before taking him into custody. According to police, officers received a tip-off that Dinesh was hiding in a dilapidated structure and planning to flee. A police team led by Izzat Nagar station house officer Suresh Chandra Gautam surrounded the hideout at around 4 am on Friday. Realising he was encircled, Dinesh allegedly fired at the police in an attempt to escape. The police returned fire, striking him in the leg. He collapsed on the spot and was immediately overpowered. A search of the accused led to the recovery of a.315 bore country-made pistol, one empty cartridge case and one live cartridge. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anurag Arya said Dinesh Kumar is a resident of Nanhera Rajput village in Amroha's Didauli police station area. On January 9, 2026, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Special POCSO Court. Following his conviction, he was lodged in Bijnor Jail before being transferred to Bareilly Central Jail on April 19, 2026, where he had been serving his sentence. Dinesh escaped from the jail on June 22 while working at the prison's farmhouse. According to investigators, he asked for permission to drink water, used a tubewell as cover, fled through adjoining fields and scaled the five-foot-high prison wall before escaping....