Etawah: In a swift response to a brutal crime, the Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a man accused of raping a seven-year-old girl in Etawah district. The accused was apprehended following a brief gunfight late Saturday night, just hours after the incident was reported.
The accused, identified as Prashant, sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the encounter and is currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital.
The incident occurred in Basrehar village on Saturday afternoon. According to the victim's father, the accused, who lived in the neighborhood, lured the seven-year-old victim and her five-year-old sister into his house on the pretext of giving them chocolates.
He allegedly raped the elder girl inside the house while the younger sister was present. The accused fled the scene immediately after the crime. The matter came to light when the girls returned home and narrated the ordeal to their parents, who promptly filed a police complaint.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shreeshchand stated that a special team was formed immediately after the FIR was registered. "The Basrehar police were patrolling at night when they cornered the accused at the Kalla Bagh intersection. Seeing himself surrounded, the accused fired at the police team. In retaliation, the police shot him in the leg and apprehended him," the SP said.
Police recovered a country-made pistol and a spent cartridge from his possession. Authorities confirmed that the victim has undergone a medical examination and forensic teams have collected evidence from the crime scene.
(Inputs from IANS)