VARANASI, Nov. 12 -- A history sheeter, with 17 prior criminal cases against him, was arrested following an encounter with the police in Mirzapur on Tuesday, hours after he allegedly abducted and murdered a 12-year-old boy. The accused, identified as Pintu alias Shailendra, a resident of Parsiya Kamapur in Mirzapur, was arrested by the Vindhyachal police near the Lalganj road after a brief exchange of fire. Police recovered an illegal country-made pistol, live ammunition, spent casings and the motorcycle used in the crime from the scene. According to inspector Ajit Singh, the station house officer (SHO) of Vindhyachal, the incident began on November 9 when the accused allegedly lured the victim, 12-year-old Prince Bind, under the pretext of a motorcycle ride. Prince's father, Keshav Bind, filed a missing person's report on November 10, prompting Mirzapur superintendent of police (SP) Aparna Rajat Kaushik to form three police teams to locate the child and identify the perpetrator. Investigation revealed that the suspect abducted the boy for ransom but subsequently strangled him to death at approximately 6:30 pm on November 9 in the Kushiyara forest. During the search, police received a tip-off about the suspect's movement near Lalganj and established a checkpoint on the road between Vijaypur and Lalganj. When intercepted, the accused attempted to flee toward the Kushiyara forest and opened fire on the pursuing officers. The police returned fire in self-defense, injuring the suspect in both legs before taking him into custody. Following his arrest, the accused confessed to the kidnapping and the murder. He was arrested while allegedly on his way to conceal the body. A case has been registered at the Lalganj Police Station, and the victim's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Further legal proceedings are currently underway....