Etawah, Jan 11 (IANS) A man accused of rape of a seven-year-old girl was arrested in a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district, just hours after the crime was committed.

According to the police, the accused, a resident of the Basrehar village of Etawah district, lured the seven-year-old girl with chocolates and raped her in broad daylight. He fled the scene after committing the crime.

When the victim’s family found out, they filed a complaint, and the police immediately swung into action and arrested the accused within hours of the complaint being filed.

The accused was injured in the encounter and has been sent to the district hospital for treatment.

According to the victim’s father, on Saturday afternoon, his seven-year-old and five-year-old daughters were playing outside their house when a young man from the neighbourhood lured both girls into his house on the pretext of giving them chocolates. There, he raped the elder daughter.

“When the girls returned home crying, they recounted the incident. We filed a police complaint following this,” the father told the reporters.

Upon receiving the information, the police and forensic team collected evidence.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shreeshchand said that after the case was registered against the accused, identified as Prashant, a search operation was launched.

“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 told reporters.

He further mentioned that a country-made pistol and a spent cartridge were recovered from him. “The accused has been sent for treatment. The girl has undergone a medical examination,” he added.

–IANS

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