An accused in the rape case of a six-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Goharganj was injured on Friday in an encounter with Madhya Pradesh police. Salman, the accused, tried to escape after snatching a sub-inspector’s firearm, prompting officers to shoot him in the leg before rushing him to hospital for treatment.
Salman was arrested in Gandhinagar and was being transported to Raisen when the police vehicle broke down near Kiratnagar village, close to Bhojpur. Taking advantage of the situation, Salman grabbed the sub-inspector's gun and fired at the officers while attempting to flee. Authorities responded with gunfire, wounding him in the leg. He was immediately taken to Jai Prakash Hospital in Bhopal for first aid.
Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Obedullaganj, Sheela Surana, told ANI that further legal proceedings will depend on Salman’s medical condition and doctors’ advice.
"He snatched our sub-inspector’s gun, started running, and fired at them. Then the police fired at him, and he was injured. We will take further action based on the doctors’ advice," she said, confirming the incident occurred between 4 and 5 am.
According to Raisen Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Gupta, the accused had been absconding for five days before being arrested late Thursday night. “Last night, our special teams arrested the accused Salman, who had been absconding for the last five days and for whom all teams were searching. Acting on a precise tip-off, we took action and detained him,” Gupta said.
A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on Friday reached the spot where Salman, the prime accused in the alleged rape of a 6-year-old girl in Goharganj, was injured during an encounter with the police.
The case dates back to November 21 under Goharganj police jurisdiction, where the six-year-old victim was playing outside her home. Salman allegedly lured her with chocolates, took her to a nearby forest, and committed the sexual assault.
The child was found in the forest and immediately taken to Obaidullaganj Hospital, where rape was confirmed by medical examination. She was later shifted for specialized care to AIIMS Bhopal.