Ghaziabad, May 28 -- Nearly 48 hours after a police constable from Noida was shot dead in Ghaziabad's Nahal village during a Sunday night raid, the village wore a deserted look. Many families-especially young men-have fled, fearing a police crackdown, the village head said. Located about 3km off National Highway 9, along the Upper Ganga Canal, Nahal is home to an estimated 15,000-20,000 people and is predominantly Muslim. Around 11pm on Sunday, the village became the site of a violent encounter in which constable Saurabh Kumar was shot in the head during a raid by Noida Police. "Since the incident, most shops haven't opened and locals are afraid to step outside," said Haji Tassuvur, gram pradhan of the village. "From late Monday night till early Tuesday morning, police were all over the village. Around 50-60 men were picked up. On Tuesday, more families left-many waited for autos and other vehicles to take them out of Nahal." While villagers say "dozens" of men have been picked up, Ghaziabad Police said fourteen arrests had been made by Tuesday evening. "The law and order situation is under control in Nahal, and we have deployed police and PAC personnel as precautionary measure," DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwary, said. The incident in question unfolded during a raid to arrest a man named Qadir, wanted in a recent theft case involving car music systems and other auto parts reported about three weeks ago. According to the FIR filed at Ghaziabad's Masuri police station, the Noida Police team was allegedly attacked by a mob in Nahal and fired upon "indiscriminately" at least twice. Constable Kumar died after a bullet struck his head. Noida Police did manage to arrest Qadir and handed him over to Ghaziabad Police for further action. An HT team visiting Nahal on Monday and Tuesday found streets empty, shops shuttered, and several houses locked. At a lone cycle repair shop, an elderly man-around 70 years old-sat quietly. "For two days now, no one's stepped out. Everyone is scared. Families are leaving however they can-autos, rickshaws, anything-to go stay with relatives. They'll return only when things calm down," said a resident, declining to be named. Police officers remained posted across the village, including a contingent of 20-25 stationed outside the two-storey house of Qadir, identified by Ghaziabad Police as the prime suspect. He reportedly has 22 criminal cases-mainly theft and robbery-and a history sheet against his name. The investigation has intensified, with police now trying to establish who fired the shot that killed the constable....