UP:Man accused of raping 3-year-old girl arrested after police encounter in Amroha

Amroha (UP), Jan 7 (PTI) Amroha (UP), Jan 7 (PTI) A man accused of raping a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was arrested following a police encounter here, officials said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday evening, while the girl was playing outside in her village under the Saidanagli police station area, the accused, Gajendra Singh Mallah (48), lured her to a secluded place on the pretext of giving her a chocolate and raped her, Circle Officer (Hasanpur) Pankaj Tyagi said.

He then left her on the spot near a canal about 200 metres from her home, police said.

Family members and villagers found the child after a long search and took her to a nearby community health centre. She was later referred to the district hospital, where doctors said she sustained serious internal injuries and remains in critical condition.

Police said CCTV footage and local inputs helped trace the suspect’s movement.

The encounter took place early near the Begampur Munda canal bridge when a motorcycle-borne man attempted to evade a police checkpoint.

The suspect lost control of the vehicle and opened fire at the police team, injuring Sub-Inspector Deepak Kumar.

In retaliatory fire, the accused sustained a gunshot wound in his leg and was arrested. A country-made pistol, cartridges, and an unregistered motorcycle were recovered from the spot.

Mallah was first treated at the Hasanpur Government Hospital and later shifted to the district hospital under police custody. He will be produced before the court after the medical examination, officials added. PTI COR ABN ABN SMV OZ OZ