Delhi Police arrests absconder accused of kidnapping, raping minor girl

New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested a proclaimed offender who had been on the run for more than three years in a case of kidnapping and rape of a minor girl, an official said on Sunday.

According to police, an FIR was registered at the Bharat Nagar police station after a 13-year-old girl went missing on June 28, 2022.

Recording her statement before a magistrate after she was found, the victim alleged that the accused, aged 49, abducted and sexually assaulted her, a police officer said.

Charges of rape, criminal intimidation and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were subsequently added to the FIR.

The accused had been evading arrest since then, and a Delhi court declared him a proclaimed offender on December 15, 2022, the officer said.

"Despite multiple attempts, police failed to track the accused who frequently changed his location to avoid arrest. The breakthrough came through a tip-off recently, leading to the accused's arrest on Saturday," the officer said.

Police said the accused was previously involved in trafficking of illicit liquor between Haryana and Delhi, before opening a garments shop in Dabri, which shut later.

Booked previously under the Arms Act and Excise Act, the accused also worked as a taxi driver while changing four hideouts since 2022, the officer said. PTI BM SMV ARI