A UP 112 police constable, part of the Uttar Pradesh Police’s integrated emergency response system, was arrested after a 10-year-old girl, who went missing from Gorakhpur District Hospital on July 28, was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered. The child’s body was recovered near the Chiutihan Bridge over the Rapti River on Thursday, triggering outrage and prompting departmental action against the accused, police said.
The accused confessed during interrogation that he had raped the victim and strangled her to death, fearing she would report the crime. Enraged people at the district hospital attacked him later in the afternoon when police took him there for a medical examination.
The accused, identified as Abhishek Yadav, was arrested on Thursday morning after CCTV footage allegedly showed him taking the child away on a motorcycle. Police said the vehicle’s registration number helped investigators trace and identify the constable. “He was in uniform when he took the child away and committed the crime after returning from duty,” an official said.
According to police, the victim had gone to Gorakhpur District Hospital on the night of July 28 to deliver food to her elder sister, who was admitted for treatment. After leaving the hospital at around 9 pm, she went missing. When the family could not locate her, they informed the police the following morning.
Based on a complaint lodged by her father, Rinku Sharma, 40, an e-rickshaw driver living under the Kotwali police station limits, police registered a case and launched an investigation.
“My daughter had gone to deliver food to her elder sister. After she left the hospital, she never reached home. A policeman lured her away and abducted her. We want justice and the harshest punishment for the accused,” Sharma said.
UP 112 is the UP Police’s integrated emergency response system. In 2019, the state government also announced an escort service under which an unaccompanied woman can seek police assistance between 10 pm and 6 am if she feels stranded or threatened.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kaustubh said CCTV analysis and verification of the private motorcycle’s registration number led investigators to the accused. “The accused constable was identified, taken into custody and allegedly confessed to the crime during interrogation. The victim’s body has been recovered, and departmental proceedings for his dismissal from service have been initiated,” he said.
The SSP said the accused, a 2018-batch constable, had been suspended in January 2025 over allegations of misbehaviour with a Bengali woman before being reinstated in September 2025.
Calling the incident completely unacceptable, Kaustubh said the police would seek the accused’s conviction through a fast-track court. He added that proceedings under the National Security Act (NSA) would also be initiated.
Police said the body has been sent for postmortem examination. Investigators alleged that the accused abducted the girl, raped her and strangled her to death near Rapti Nagar. The postmortem report is awaited.
The victim’s family, originally from Azamgarh district, has been living in Gorakhpur for the past four years. Her father has demanded the strictest punishment for the accused.
Police also said the accused had allegedly faced criminal cases in the past and had reportedly spent time in jail in connection with rape and forgery cases. Further legal and departmental proceedings are underway.
In the afternoon, when police took the accused to the district hospital for a medical examination, a group of enraged people, including some hospital staff, caught the police off guard and assaulted him. However, police personnel quickly intervened and rescued him from further attack.
Circle officer (Kotwali) Omkar Dutta said, “The accused has been booked under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which prescribes punishment for murder.” He added that more sections are likely to be added after the victim’s postmortem report is received.
