A 60-year-old man allegedly raped a five-year-old girl and later hanged himself in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district, police said on Friday.
The incident took place in a village under the Faridpur police station limits, they said.
A case was registered against Sher Mohammad under sections of rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.
A police offer said the girl was found soaked in blood and she was immediately taken to the district hospital.
The survivor’s family members said she was playing outside the house. They began searching for her when she did not return home for long.
They said upon reaching Mohammad’s house, they saw him forcing himself on the minor.
The accused fled the spot after seeing the girl’s family members, police said.
An FIR was registered against the accused based on the complaint of the girl’s mother.
The police officer said the accused was found hanging from a tree when the police launched a search operation to find him.
Prima facie it appears that Mohammad, fearing the police action or out of remorse, hanged himself from the tree, he said.
The body was sent for post-mortem, police said.
