The main accused in the murder of journalist Lakshmi Narayan Singh alias Pappu was arrested late on Thursday night after a police encounter in Prayagraj, officials said on Friday.

Singh (54), a journalist by profession and nephew of former High Court Bar Association chief Ashok Singh, was hacked to death near the Harsh Hotel on Thursday evening.

He was rushed to the Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Ajay Pal Sharma, said on Friday that evidence from the crime scene and statements of the eyewitnesses revealed that the attack on Singh was carried out by Vishal along with a few others.

Vishal purchased a knife from the Machhli Bazaar in Khuldabad, which was later used to attack Singh.

During a late-night encounter near the crime scene, the accused was injured after being shot thrice on his legs. He has been admitted to a hospital, Sharma said.

Efforts are underway to trace another accused involved in the killing, while two other suspects have been detained for questioning, the officer said.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused and the deceased had a dispute a few days back. The exact cause of the disagreement is being probed, Sharma said.

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