Pratapgarh police arrest 19-year-old wanted in minor sexual assault case

Police in Pratapgarh district have arrested a 19-year-old wanted accused in a case involving sexual assault of a minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The arrest was made by the Kandhai police station team near Pure Devyani Chowk on the Karaila Bazar-Mangraura Road following a tip-off from an informer.

The accused has been identified as Pradeep Verma, son of Nandlal Verma, a resident of Bibeepur Bardih under Patti police station jurisdiction in Pratapgarh. He was apprehended by Sub-Inspector Anupam Patel along with a team of police personnel acting on specific intelligence. A case had been registered against him at Kandhai police station under sections 5(L)/6 and 7/8 of the POCSO Act, which deal with aggravated penetrative sexual assault and related offences against minors.

The operation was carried out under the direction of Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar as part of an ongoing campaign against crime and criminals in the district. Additional Superintendent of Police East Alok Kumar and Circle Officer Patti Pradeep Singh supervised the manhunt that led to the arrest. The police team involved in the operation included Sub-Inspector Anupam Patel, Constable Kapil Chaudhary, Constable Ramji, and Reserve Constable Rahul Patel.

Following the arrest, police have initiated necessary legal proceedings against the accused. The Kandhai police had been actively searching for wanted accused persons in various cases as part of the district-wide crackdown on crime. POCSO Act cases are treated as priority crimes by law enforcement agencies given the serious nature of offences against children, and police have been instructed to ensure swift action in such matters.