UP: Out on bail for rape of 15-year-old girl, man kidnaps victim again

Bhadohi (UP): A man, released on bail in a case related to the kidnapping and rape of a minor girl last year, has allegedly kidnapped the same girl again, prompting a fresh police investigation, officials said on Thursday.

Police have launched a search operation to rescue the girl and arrest the man who is alleged to have carried out the latest kidnapping on Saturday with help from his parents and another relative.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhimanyu Manglik said Ashish Saroj (23) had allegedly kidnapped the 15-year-old girl on April 5, 2024 and held her captive for three months, during which he repeatedly raped her.

After she was found in July 2024, Saroj was arrested and jailed under sections of rape and kidnapping of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

However, Saroj was released on bail by the Allahabad High Court this February of this year.

According to a complaint filed by the victim's mother at Bhadohi Kotwali Police Station on Wednesday, Saroj, kidnapped the girl again on March 22 with the help of his parents and a male relative.

"Based on the complaint from the family members, we have registered an FIR of kidnapping against Saroj, his parents, and a male relative. We have formed teams to recover the victim and efforts are underway to arrest Saroj," SP Manglik said on Thursday.