AGRA/LUCKNOW, July 1 -- Security around the Taj Mahal was tightened on Monday after a man fired a shot in the air near a restricted zone close to the monument's western gate and fled the scene. The incident triggered a multi-district operation, culminating in the arrest of the accused by Lucknow Police within seven hours. According to officials, the accused, identified as Pankaj Kumar Singh, 45, a resident of Jura Rampur in Azamgarh, was travelling in a hired vehicle when police at the barricade near the western gate asked him to park in the designated lot. He allegedly attempted to bypass the security check and, while reversing, fired in the air before fleeing the area around 9:30 am. Following the firing incident, Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar ordered a swift investigation. CCTV footage helped police teams, led by assistant commissioner of police (Law & Order) Aditya, track the vehicle to Mathura. The driver revealed the car had been hired from Vrindavan by Pankaj Kumar. After abandoning the first car in Agra's Itimad-ud-Daulah area, the accused reportedly booked another vehicle and began moving towards Lucknow. Surveillance cameras later captured the second vehicle on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, said Syed Areeb Ahmed, assistant commissioner of police (Taj Security) at Agra Commissionerate. An alert was issued under 'Operation Allout' by the Lucknow police commissioner, warning that a grey car (DL 4C AW 7152) carrying a suspect involved in a firing incident was headed towards the city. The vehicle was intercepted near a toll plaza, where one passenger, Yogesh Chauhan, 45, a resident of Amal Kheda in Agra, was detained. During questioning at the toll gate, the second man in the car, later confirmed as Pankaj Kumar Singh, reportedly took control of the vehicle, rammed through the toll barrier, and escaped. An alert was issued, and police teams from Manaknagar Police Station eventually located the suspect's car near RK Marriage Lawn in Lucknow. The vehicle was stopped and Pankaj was taken into custody, according to the Lucknow Police press statement. During a search, police recovered a .32 caliber NIRBHEEK MK-IV licensed revolver and three empty cartridges. During interrogation, the accused claimed to be employed as an LIC agent and said he had fired the weapon during a visit to Agra. His family members informed the police that he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for the past 20 years at Noor Manjil Psychiatric Centre. Agra Police confirmed that a case related to the firing had been registered at Tajganj Police Station. Their team later arrived in Lucknow to take Pankaj into custody for further investigation. "Both suspects are being questioned, and further legal action is underway. The revolver has been seized and will be sent for forensic analysis," Lucknow Police said....