Toddler raped in UP village; accused arrested after encounter

A 25-year-old man, accused of raping a one-year-old toddler in Shahjahanpur, was arrested following a police encounter. The suspect, who fled after the mother intervened, was shot in both legs during a retaliatory firing incident near the Mailani border

Shahjahanpur: A 25-year-old man accused of raping a one-year-old girl was arrested after being shot in both legs during an encounter with police here, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in a village in the district on Tuesday when the toddler was lying on a cot inside her house while her mother was washing clothes outside, Superintendent of Police (SP) Saurabh Dixit told PTI.

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Hearing her daughter’s screams, the mother rushed inside and hit the accused Guddu with a stick. However, the accused managed to flee from the spot.

Based on the mother’s complaint, the police registered a case on Tuesday evening and launched a manhunt to nab the perpetrator.

Late on Tuesday night, the police received a tip-off that the accused was waiting for a bus near the Mailani border.

When a police team reached the spot, the accused opened fire at the police vehicle. “In self-defence, the police team retaliated. The accused sustained bullet injuries in both his legs and fell to the ground, after which he was arrested,” the SP said.

The accused has been admitted to the Government Medical College while the toddler has been sent for a formal medical examination, officials said.