Meerut, Jan. 15 -- The main accused in the brutal lynching of judicial employee Rashid Hussain was arrested on Wednesday, within 12 hours of announcing a Rs.25,000 reward for his arrest. The accused, Kaleem, was nabbed following an encounter near the gate of an abandoned colony close to the Neelikhadi bridge late Tuesday night, officials said.

During the encounter, Kaleem allegedly opened fire at the police team after being asked to surrender. One bullet struck the bulletproof jacket of sub-inspector Mohammad Tariq Hussain, narrowly missing him. Police retaliated, injuring Kaleem with a bullet in his left leg. He was overpowered, arrested, and immediately admitted to the district hospital.

Superintendent of police Amit Kumar Anand and a...