Punjab nightmare: Ex-lifer abducts, slays 9-year-old; Shot after firing at police

Bathinda: A 45-year-old man with a long criminal history — including a murder conviction — has been arrested for allegedly abducting and killing a nine-year-old girl in Muktsar.

The accused, Mukesh, a resident of Muktsar, was taken into custody on Saturday night after a brief but intense shootout with police.

Police said Mukesh fired at the arresting team, triggering retaliation in which a bullet struck his leg. He was overpowered and subsequently admitted to the Muktsar Civil Hospital for treatment.

The child, whose parents hail from Bihar and had been living in a slum cluster in Muktsar, went missing in the early hours of Friday.

A missing person’s report was lodged at the Muktsar City police station. On Saturday afternoon, her mutilated body was recovered from a secluded area on the city’s outskirts, leading investigators to identify Mukesh as the prime suspect.

“After the mutilated body was found, police found that Mukesh was behind the crime. When the police tried to arrest him, he opened fire. Our team retaliated, injuring him in the leg,” said Faridkot SSP Pragya Jain, who is also holding charge as Muktsar SSP.

A forensic team has collected samples to determine whether the girl was sexually assaulted before being killed. Preliminary suspicion suggests she may have been sexually exploited, SSP Jain said.

Mukesh’s criminal history stretches over two decades. He was first booked in an NDPS Act case in 2001. A murder case was registered against him on January 12, 2007, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment on August 30, 2010.

He was released from jail on November 29, 2022, after serving more than 15 years of his sentence. Calling him a “serial offender,” SSP Jain said police are investigating how Mukesh obtained the firearm used during the shootout.

Murder charges have now been added to the abduction case registered on Friday. The investigation remains underway.