Hyderabad: A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and strangled to death by a neighbour in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district, triggering protests by villagers who pelted stones at police vehicles when officers attempted to take away the child's body, officials said on Monday.
The incident took place in the Muskara police station area on Sunday afternoon. According to police, the girl was playing outside her house when her 30-year-old neighbour allegedly lured her to a nearby field, where he sexually assaulted her before strangling her with her own pajama trousers.
The accused later allegedly joined the family in searching for the missing child. Her body was eventually found in the field around 8 pm.
Following the discovery, the family handed the accused over to the police.
Circle Officer (Rath) Rajkumar Pandey said the accused attempted to escape while being taken for questioning. He allegedly opened fire at police personnel using a country-made pistol that he had concealed on his person.
Police retaliated by firing at him, hitting him in the leg. He is currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital, Pandey said.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated when police attempted to take the girl's body into custody. Angry villagers allegedly created a commotion and pelted stones at police vehicles, damaging six vehicles, including those belonging to the circle officer and the station house officers of Rath and Binwar police stations.
Police used minimal force to disperse the crowd and subsequently took custody of the body. It has been sent for a post-mortem examination, officials said.
A case has been registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. (with inputs from PTI)