In a distressing incident, the Bansdih Road police arrested Chandan Kumar Sah (29) on Saturday night for allegedly kidnapping and raping a seven-year-old girl. The child was returning home with her grandfather from a wedding ceremony on Friday night when the crime occurred.
How the Incident Unfolded
The grandfather stopped his motorcycle near a cold storage facility to relieve himself. Taking advantage of the moment, Sah arrived on a motorcycle and abducted the girl. The grandfather raised an alarm, but his cries were drowned out by loudspeakers playing music in the area.
He immediately informed the family, and the police launched a search operation. The girl was rescued within a few hours. During questioning, she disclosed that she had been raped, which was later confirmed through a medical examination.
Police Action and Legal Charges
Ballia ASP (Northern) Dinesh Kumar Shukla stated that a case was initially registered under sections 137(2) (kidnapping of a minor from lawful guardianship) and 87 (kidnapping to seduce for intercourse) based on the grandfather's complaint. After the medical report confirmed rape, additional charges under section 65(2) (rape of a minor) of the BNS and sections 3/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were added.
The grandfather had noted the motorcycle's registration number, which helped the police trace the accused. Chandan Kumar Sah, a resident of Gaighat under Rewati police station in Ballia, was apprehended on the Dhelhawa Baba-Dubahar road, and his motorcycle was seized.
Background of the Incident
The girl had attended a wedding ceremony at a relative's house in the Maniyar area a few days earlier. On June 11, her family members left for home on different vehicles, while she traveled with her grandfather on his motorcycle.
