Grandfather arrested for raping 6-year-old granddaughter in UP's Bhadohi

In a deeply disturbing incident that has shaken a quiet neighbourhood in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district, a 58-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping his six-year-old granddaughter , a child who looked to him for love and protection. The accused was apprehended on Thursday after spending days in hiding at a relative's home, following a tip-off to the police.

The horror unfolded in the early hours of March 17, around 5 am , when the young girl's screams cut through the silence of the house. Family members, who were resting on the ground floor, rushed upstairs to find the child's own grandfather in the act of assaulting her. The scene that greeted them was one no family should ever have to witness.

The child was immediately rushed to the hospital. Taking advantage of the chaos and the family's focus on getting the girl medical help, the accused slipped away from the home and went underground.

As the little girl's condition gradually stabilised, her father, grappling with a pain that is impossible to articulate, summoned the courage to file a formal complaint late Thursday night against his own father. The weight of that act speaks volumes about the gravity of the crime.

Acting swiftly on the complaint, the Kotwali police registered a case under Section 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , which deals specifically with rape committed against a child under 12 years of age, along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Both laws prescribe stringent punishment for offences of this nature.

Station House Officer of Kotwali, Sachchidanand Pandey , confirmed that the accused was traced to a relative's residence based on intelligence inputs and was subsequently arrested.

The case has once again cast a grim spotlight on the alarming reality that in a majority of child sexual abuse cases, the perpetrator is not a stranger , but someone within the child's own circle of trust. Advocates and child rights experts have long stressed the urgent need for stronger awareness, open conversations within families, and robust implementation of child protection laws.

The accused is currently in police custody . Further investigation is underway.