16-Year-Old Girl Rescued After Six-Month Captivity and Sexual Assault in Uttar Pradesh

The accused has been sent to jail following arrest, authorities confirmed.

Bhadohi (UP): Police successfully rescued a 16-year-old girl who had allegedly been kidnapped, held captive for six months, and subjected to multiple sexual assaults during her ordeal, officials reported on Saturday.

According to law enforcement, 21-year-old Ashish Kumar Saroj has been arrested and incarcerated in connection with the crime.

The investigation began when a woman from a village under Modh police station jurisdiction filed a complaint on March 25, reporting that her daughter had disappeared on the afternoon of March 22, a police officer stated.

Authorities registered an FIR based on the complaint, and after a three-day investigation, police determined that the teenager had been lured away and abducted by Saroj, according to Kotwali Station House Officer (SHO) Sachidanand Pandey.

Pandey explained that charges were initially filed against the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Using surveillance techniques, a police team successfully located and rescued the girl on Friday near Sangam Railway Station in Prayagraj district while simultaneously apprehending the suspect.

Following her rescue, the victim underwent a medical examination, and her statement was recorded in court on Saturday, the officer added.

Based on the investigation findings and the victim's testimony, the perpetrator was remanded to jail custody. Additional charges of rape and violations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were subsequently included in the case.