Akram’s Crime Spree Escalates from Theft to Rape and Robbery; Changed Identity After M.Tech Student’s Murder

May 2, 2026

Akram, who was killed in a police encounter in Dehradun, was a criminal whose journey started with theft and reached brutality like rape and robbery. It is alleged that he did not even leave the girls during the incident. After the M.Tech student massacre, he even changed his identity, but eventually he ended up being shot by the police.

Originally from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, Akram’s criminal story goes back nearly a decade and a half. Initially, he was involved in theft and petty crimes, but gradually his level of crime increased. As many as 14 cases were registered against him in serious cases like murder, robbery, dacoity and POCSO Act in Dehradun, Saharanpur and Shamli.

In 2014, he shot dead a young man named Ankit during a robbery in Balawala area of Dehradun, after which he came on the radar of the police. The Uttarakhand Police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 and the Shamli Police announced a reward of Rs 5,000. After the incident, he fled to Gujarat, where he hid for about three years and is suspected to be operating his activities from here.

Crime record started with an attempted murder

Akram’s criminal life comes to light starting from the year 2011, when his name was first registered under serious sections. A case was registered against him at Bihari Garh police station in Saharanpur under Section 307 (attempt to murder). According to police records, this attack was the result of an old enmity, in which Akram ambushed a person with the intention to kill. After the incident, the area was tense, and Akram came under police radar for the first time.

In the same year, cases of theft and possession of illicit property (Sections 380, 411) were also registered against him. By 2012, Akram’s involvement in crime had deepened. At Gagalheri police station in Saharanpur, another case was registered against him for theft and possession of stolen property (Sections 379, 411).

From the cases registered in different police stations continuously for two years, it became clear that Akram was no longer a sporadic criminal but had made crime his profession.

Kidnapping and rape of minor in Dehradun

The year 2014 proved to be the biggest and most frightening turning point in Akram’s criminal life. A case of kidnapping and rape of a minor girl was registered against him at Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun. It was alleged that Akram forcibly took the girl with him and raped her and threatened to kill her. In this case, a case was registered against him under sections 363, 366, 376, 506 of the IPC and Section 3/4 of the POCSO Act.

This was the turning point where Akram’s crime was not just limited to theft or violence, but he came out as a dangerous and brutal criminal.

M.Tech student murdered for breaking into house for robbery

On September 10, 2014, six masked miscreants robbed the house of agriculture officer Surendra Thapliyal in Nakronda of Raipur police station area of Dehradun. Among them was Akram. At around 4 am, the miscreants entered the house, attacked the family with sticks and left them bleeding.

Hearing the noise, his son Ankit Thapliyal, who was studying M.Tech, came out and confronted the miscreants. He started overpowering one of the crooks, when five of his accomplices also entered the house. Meanwhile, Akram shot Ankit. Ankit died in front of his father.

After the incident, the miscreants stayed in the house for about 10 minutes and escaped through the Dulhani river after looting. This case brought him into the category of dangerous criminals.

Gangster Act, Entry into Organized Crime

In 2015, the Raipur police station invoked the Gangster Act against Akram. According to police records, he, along with his associates, carried out organized crimes. After the Gangster Act was applied, he was also discharged. After the Ankit murder case, Akram fled to Gujarat. There he changed his identity to ‘Salim’ and continued working at a roadside eatery. For about three years, he managed to evade the police.

In 2017, Dehradun police arrested him from Gujarat, but despite jail and actions taken, his criminal activities did not stop.

In recent years, Akram’s crimes continued. In 2024 and 2025, cases of theft and other matters were filed against him at the Patel Nagar and Clamantown police stations in Dehradun. According to the police, he remained continuously active and on the radar.

Now read the complete story of the encounter in 3 points…

1. The story started with robbery, shooting, and a 112 call
On the night of April 29-30, on Ponda Road in Premnagar, criminals held a person named Deoraj at gunpoint, robbed him, and shot him when he resisted. The criminals snatched ₹2 lakh in cash, a mobile phone, and a blue bag full of important documents and fled towards ‘Vishranti’ in a black car with Gujarat number plates. As soon as the information reached 112 at 10:36 PM, an alert was issued across the district. Premnagar police station in-charge Naresh Rathore, along with his team, reached the spot and began chasing the criminals based on the inputs provided by the victim.

2. 10 rounds of firing in the forest; SHO Rathore injured
While chasing, the police team reached the Ponda forest area, where they saw the suspicious car. Seeing themselves surrounded, the criminals abandoned the vehicle and started firing indiscriminately at the police. About 10 rounds of bullets were fired, two of which hit police station in-charge Naresh Rathore in his hand. The police team took control of the situation and retaliated.

3. Reward Akram killed in retaliatory firing, two abscond
In retaliatory firing by the police, the reward-listed criminal Akram, worth 50 thousand, was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital where he died. His two companions took advantage of the darkness to escape. From the spot, the police recovered a .32 bore pistol, a .315 bore gun, cartridges, the Baleno car used in the crime, and ₹2 lakh looted.

Blood stains found in the forest suggest that another criminal may be injured. After the incident, roadblocks were set up throughout Dehradun.