The body of the police constable killed during an encounter with a notorious criminal was sent to his hometown Muzaffarnagar today. Sachin Rathi — shot during yesterday’s encounter with murder-accused Ashok Yadav in Kannauj. He succumbed to injuries last night.

Rathi was part of a four-member team that went to arrest Ashok Yadav, wanted in at least 20 cases, from his home Kannauj. The 52-year-old had jumped bail and was at a village where his wife has been a pradhan.

The team was sent to arrest him after a local court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

But Ashok Yadav and his son Abhay opened fire on the police team. The two were caught with the help of reinforcements from four police stations.

During the hour-long encounter, Rathi was shot in the thigh and died after massive blood loss at a hospital in Kanpur where he was sent.

The 30-year-old was to be married in a month to a colleague.

“We want him to be declared martyred… also.. the criminals should be treated the same way.. they should get what happened to Sachin.. we demand justice,” said his uncle Devendra Rathi.

More than 16 policemen have died and over 1500 have been injured during encounters with criminals in Uttar Pradesh since Yogi Adityanath’s government came into power in March 2017.

Altogether, 11,808 encounters have taken place in this period.

Atlee, the sought-after director behind Jawan featuring Shah Rukh Khan, is reportedly in talks with Allu Arjun for an upcoming project. While there is no official confirmation, reports indicate a potential collaboration between the two, aiming for a commencement in late 2024. The anticipated film is said to unveil Allu Arjun in a fresh and unprecedented role, showcasing the actor in a different light.

According to reports, discussions between Atlee and Allu Arjun are ongoing, aligning their schedules for a big-budget film. Final details and agreements are currently underway, with expectations of an official announcement by January 2024. Anirudh Ravichander, who previously collaborated with Atlee on Jawan, is also set to compose music for the project.

While awaiting confirmation, Allu Arjun remains a top contender for Atlee’s next directorial venture slated to kick off around October. Simultaneously, Allu Arjun is occupied with the filming of Pushpa 2 and has commitments with Trivikram for a 2025 film. Should this collaboration materialise, Sun Pictures is expected to produce the anticipated project.

Christmas brought a tonne of cheer. Like every year, several celebrities offered joyous glimpses of their holiday celebrations. Among the stars who got together for Christmas Eve were Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Varun Tej, Lavanya Tripathi and more.

Allu Arjun’s wife, Allu Sneha Reddy took to her social media handle to post a star-studded photo from the Christmas party. The snap sees Allu, Ram, Upasana Konidela, Panja Vaishnav Tej and others as they get together for a happy click.

Check out the group photo here:

Needless to say, fans showered the post with love.

Upasana also took to her social media handle to offer a glimpse into the party. One snap features her posing alongside Ram Charan Allu Arjun and Allu Sneha Reddy. Take a look:

In case you missed it, here’s how Bollywood celebs celebrated Christmas: 

Here’s how Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt, Tara Sutaria and more celebrated the holiday