Patna man, accused of kidnapping, murdering 5-year-old girl in Karnataka, killed in police ‘encounter’

A 35-year-old man, who kidnapped and killed a minor girl in Karnataka’s Hubballi, was killed in an encounter as he tried to flee from police trying to nab him, officials said on Sunday.

The accused was identified as Ritesh Kumar, police said, adding that he was accused of kidnapping and killing a four to five-year-old girl. Kumar, hailing from Patna, attempted to flee from police.

“This morning in the Vijayanagara area, within the Ashok Nagar police station limits of Hubballi-Dharwad City Commissionerate, a four to five-year-old girl’s body was found in an abandoned shed. Following verification of CCTV footage and information from locals, the girl’s body was located… The accused, identified as Ritesh Kumar (35) from Patna, Bihar, attempted to flee,” Hubballi police chief Shashi Kumar was quoted as saying by IANS.

The accused allegedly damaged poice vehicles, pelted stones at officers and assaulted them. The police fired their shots in defence, injuring Kumar fatally.

“During the escape attempt, he damaged the police vehicle, assaulted the officers and threw stones at them. In self-defense, PSI Annapurna fired warning shots and then shot at the accused, injuring him in the leg and chest,” the senior police official was quoted as saying.

(This is a developing story. Check back for details)