Ballia (UP), March 24 A 19-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old girl and raping her for about eight months after taking her to Nagpur, Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, the accused, identified as Mukesh Rajbhar, a resident of Urdaini village under the Rasra Kotwali area, abducted the minor on August 20, 2025.
A case was registered against him on the complaint of the girl's mother under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Alok Gupta said that the police rescued the girl on Monday from Dehri Mor in the same police station area and also arrested the accused.
In her statement, the girl alleged that Rajbhar took her to Nagpur, where he repeatedly raped her for nearly eight months, Gupta said.
Based on her statement, police have added sections related to rape under the BNS and the POCSO Act, they said.
Further legal proceedings were being carried out, police said.