Done/ALVI Kanpur: The body of a ten-year-old girl, missing since June 20, was found with strangulation marks in a well at a village under Purwa police station area of Unnao district late Thursday night.
According to police, she was molested before being murdered.
Police achieved a breakthrough following the arrest of accused Neeraj Gautam in an encounter.
The accused, who had sustained injuries in both his legs during the encounter, has been admitted to the district hospital.
He has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
The girl has been missing since June 20 after she had left her house for cattle grazing.
An FIR was lodged on the complaint received from her father on June 21, police said.
“In his complaint, the girl’s father suspected involvement of Neeraj Gautam, as he too has been missing from his house since June 20,” police added.
“The accused, belonging to the nearby village, has been staying at his maternal grandfather’s place for the past few months.
The girl also used to reside with her parents in the same village.
On the day of the incident, when she went out to graze her cattle, the accused tried to outrage the modesty of the girl but when she started screaming, he strangled her to death,” said SP Sureshrao A Kulkarni.
The accused absconded after the incident, he added.
“While we were on a lookout for him, he was tracked and arrested near Mangat Kheda crossing at around 1 am.
While the accused was being taken to a nearby area to recover the girl’s clothes, which he claimed to have dumped in the bushes, he opened fire at the police team from a country-made firearm which he had hidden in the clothes.
None of the cops however were reported to be injured”, the SP said “Later, he was challenged and chased upon, and in the retaliatory action, he was shot at by the police due to which he suffered bullet injuries in both his legs and slumped on the ground.
The police later took him into custody.
A firearm of 315 bore was recovered from his possession”, the SP added.
The accused has been admitted to the hospital where his condition is said to be stable.
The girl’s body has been sent for the post-mortem examination.
During investigation the police recovered a pair of slippers and an umbrella that she had carried with her when she left her home.
A team led by inspector Purwa and and SWAT incharge was formed to investigate the case.