Ballia youth held for raping 17-year-old girl

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a person for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl over a two-month period after taking her to Nalanda in Bihar, officials said.

The girl was allegedly kidnapped by Rakesh Patel, who is from the Islampur police station area of Nalanda district, on July 22, said Bansdih Deputy Superintendent of Police Shiv Narayan Vais.

A case was registered against him under section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on July 27 on the complaint of the girl's mother, he said.

The accused was arrested from the Maniyar bus stand here, he added.

The police found the girl from near the Maniyar bus stand on Tuesday. In her statement to the police, she alleged Rakesh kidnapped and took her to Nalanda and raped her repeatedly.

Based on the girl's statement, the police added sections 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her for marriage) and 376 (rape) of the IPC as well as relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the case, the DSP said.