Daijiworld Media Network - Etawah

Etawah, Jan 11: In a swift response to a harrowing crime, police in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district arrested a man accused of raping a seven-year-old girl following a brief armed encounter late Saturday night. The arrest occurred just hours after the assault was reported, marking a high-stakes conclusion to a manhunt in Basrehar village.

The survivor’s father reported that the tragedy unfolded on Saturday afternoon while his two daughters, aged seven and five, were playing near their home. A neighbor, identified by police as Prashant, allegedly lured the children into his residence with the promise of chocolates, where he then assaulted the elder girl. After the children returned home in distress and recounted the incident, the family immediately filed a police complaint, prompting forensic teams to mobilize and begin a search operation.

As the pursuit intensified, Basrehar police cornered the suspect at the Kalla Bagh intersection during a night patrol. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shreeshchand noted that when the suspect realized he was surrounded, he opened fire on the officers. In the retaliatory exchange, police shot Prashant in the leg to neutralize the threat and take him into custody.

Authorities recovered a country-made pistol and a spent cartridge from the scene. While the suspect remains under guard at the district hospital for treatment of his injuries, the young survivor has undergone a formal medical examination. The police have emphasized that the investigation will be fast-tracked to ensure swift legal consequences for the crime.