Bhadohi Man Detained Under NSA for Abducting And Raping 8-Year-Old Tribal Girl

The local administration has invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against a 25-year-old man placed in judicial custody for allegedly abducting and raping an eight-year-old tribal girl, police said.

District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar approved the NSA against the accused to maintain public order, Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik told PTI on Sunday. The NSA allows preventive detention for up to 12 months, and detainees are not legally required to be presented before a court.

According to Manglik, the incident occurred on the night of July 11 in a tribal hamlet under the Suriyawan police station area. The accused allegedly took the girl while she was sleeping with her grandparents. The girl was found the following morning lying naked under a tree near the Kusa river on the Bhadohi-Jaunpur border, following a search launched after a complaint by her family.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against an unidentified person.

The SP said that on July 12, the suspect was intercepted near a bridge on the Kusa river. He allegedly opened fire at police, who returned fire and hit him in the leg before arresting him. During questioning, the man, a resident of neighbouring Jaunpur district, confessed to abducting and raping the girl, Manglik added, PTI reported.

According to PTI, authorities said the NSA has been applied to prevent any further disruption to public order while legal proceedings continue.

Such applications of the NSA in rape cases are rare but not unprecedented. In 2022, a businessman in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was detained under the NSA after he allegedly raped and tortured his wife with the assistance of friends.

(With inputs from PTI)