Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh: The streets here are simmering with anger after police rescued a nine-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped and repeatedly assaulted by a 66-year-old man from her village. The Class 4 student, who went missing on Sunday, was finally found Tuesday at the accused’s house—where she had been held captive for two horrifying days.
Superintendent of Police Sukirti Madhav Mishra confirmed that the man has been charged under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS. What’s more disturbing—police say they’ve recovered an objectionable video linked to the crime from the accused. The little girl is currently undergoing medical tests, and officers have promised to file a chargesheet quickly to push for a fast-track trial.
“She was with her father at the local market when she vanished,” a family member shared. The accused, a widower who lived alone after his wife passed away years ago, allegedly lured the child to his home. It was a neighbor who reportedly recorded the horrific act and tipped off the family, leading to the rescue.
News of the crime spread like wildfire, and soon a crowd—including members of a local Hindu group—gathered outside the police station, demanding immediate “encounter” of the accused, who belongs to another community. It took senior cops stepping in and assuring speedy justice to calm things down.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Singh Gangwar didn’t hold back. He threatened “bulldozer action” against the accused’s property, saying such an example would be made that “his next seven generations would remember it.”
Not everyone was on board with that tone, though. Samajwadi Party’s district president Jagdev Singh called the crime “heart-rending” and “a blot on society,” demanding the harshest punishment. But he also had a word of caution—don’t use this tragedy for politics, and don’t paint an entire community with the same brush. “A criminal is known by his crime, not by his religion or caste,” he reminded everyone.
