Lucknow Encounter: Man Accused of Abducting and Assaulting Toddler Killed
Incident Overview
A 21-year-old individual, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in the Alambagh area of Lucknow, was shot dead in an encounter with the police on Friday, according to law enforcement officials.
The suspect, named Deepak Kumar, allegedly took the child from near the Chandanagar Metro station while she was sleeping next to her mother on Thursday.
Upon waking and discovering her daughter was missing, the mother searched the nearby area. After several hours without success, they reported the incident to the Alambagh police station.
Police Investigation
On June 5, at around 10 AM, a formal complaint was lodged regarding the rape of the young girl. Following this, a case was registered, and five investigative teams were established. Based on CCTV footage, the suspect was identified as Deepak Verma. The police commissioner proposed a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to his capture, as stated by DCP Central Lucknow Ashish Srivastava.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: DCP Central Lucknow Ashish Srivastava says, "On the morning of June 5, at 10 am, a complaint was registered that a 2.5 year old girl had been raped… A case was registered and five teams were formed… As per the CCTV footage of the scooter, the accused was… https://t.co/dWLxpbzW9t pic.twitter.com/165obhROO6
— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2025
Encounter and Aftermath
Following the investigation, multiple teams were deployed, leading to Kumar's arrest on Friday. During a brief exchange of gunfire, he sustained injuries and later succumbed to them at a hospital. "The accused, who was injured in an encounter with the police, has died during treatment," confirmed Shrivastava.
CCTV footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media, showing a man carrying the child and taking her to a nearby Metro lift. After the assault, he abandoned her under a metro bridge, where she was later found. The investigation is ongoing, according to police.