UP: Missing girl returns, man known to family held for kidnap, rape

2 min readLucknowJun 18, 2026 05:17 AM IST

After the girl returned home on Tuesday, she told her family that Umar had kidnapped her and taken her to another place where she was raped. (Image generated using AI)

Pilibhit police on Wednesday arrested a 66-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor girl. Police said the accused, Mohammad Umar, was known to the girl’s family, belonging to another community. “Within an hour of the complaint being filed, we arrested the accused,” said Pilibhit Superintendent of Police Sukirti Madhav.

According to police, the family of the girl grazed goats belonging to the accused on batai or profit-sharing basis. In a complaint to the police, the girl’s family said that she had gone missing on June 14 (Sunday) and returned on her own on Tuesday. The girl’s family had, however, not lodged a missing persons complaint with the police.

After the girl returned home on Tuesday, she told her family that Umar had kidnapped her and taken her to another place where she was raped.

Acting on the information provided by the victim and her family, police registered a case under the POCSO Act. “A police team was immediately deployed to trace the suspect, and Umar was arrested within an hour of the complaint being lodged from a neighbouring village,” said a police officer.

Police said the girl’s statement is being recorded and further evidence is being collected as part of the investigation. Officials added that the circumstances under which the girl went missing and the allegations she has made against the accused are being thoroughly examined.