LUCKNOW, May 1 -- The prime accused in the sensational killing of three men during his birthday celebration in Bulandshahr was killed in a police encounter early Thursday, officials said. They, however, added that the investigation so far suggests the triple murder was linked to an ongoing rivalry and an alleged bid to assert dominance. Jeetu Saini, 33, who carried a reward of Rs.50,000, died after sustaining bullet injuries during an exchange of fire with a joint police team in Khurja police station limits. The encounter took place around 5 am when police attempted to intercept two suspects on a scooter. Police said the suspects ignored orders to stop and allegedly opened fire while trying to flee. The police team retaliated in self-defence and chased them, leading to a brief gunfight. Saini was hit by three bullets, while his accomplice escaped in the darkness. He was taken to a community health centre and later referred to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A search operation has been launched to trace the absconding suspect. Two police personnel were also injured in the encounter. Mohammad Aslam, inspector and Mohit Malik, head constable, sustained injuries. Ramphal Singh, Khurja station house officer (SHO) and Kapil, constable, escaped serious injuries after bullets struck their bulletproof jackets. Dinesh Kumar Singh, Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police (SSP), said six teams had been deployed to track down the accused. "During vehicle checking, two suspects on a scooter were asked to stop. They attempted to flee and opened fire on the police team, forcing retaliatory action," he said. Police recovered a .32 bore pistol, the scooter used by the suspects, and a large number of live and spent cartridges from the spot. The encounter comes days after a triple murder on April 25 night at RJS Fitness Gym in Khurja. Saini had allegedly opened fire during his birthday party, killing three relatives of local corporator Sanjay Saini: Manish Saini, 30, his nephew Akash, 19, and his cousin Amardeep Saini, 32. According to the complaint, the violence began after a minor altercation when one of the victims smeared cake on Jeetu's face, which allegedly led to an argument. Jeetu and his associates then allegedly opened indiscriminate fire. Investigators said Jeetu used a weapon belonging to one of his associates and fled after taking away the CCTV digital video recorder from the gym. Police had earlier arrested three co-accused. Mayank Saini was apprehended after being shot in both legs, while Rinku Saini and Bharat Saini were arrested after separate police action....