Man accused of minor’s rape held near Nepal border after 13-day manhunt

Police said the accused, who worked at a garage in Kharghar, lured the minor there in October 2025, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse

NAVI MUMBAI: In a significant cross-border operation spanning multiple districts, Kharghar Police have arrested a 24-year-old man, near the India-Nepal border, accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl and impregnating her, following an intensive 13-day manhunt marked by technical and ground-level challenges.

Man accused of minor’s rape held near Nepal border after 13-day manhunt

The accused, who had been on the run since a case was registered earlier this month, was tracked down on March 25 and brought back to Navi Mumbai on transit remand.

Police said the accused, who worked at a garage in Kharghar, lured the minor there in October 2025, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse.

The case came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant, following which her parents approached the police. Based on their complaint filed on March 7, a case was filed under Sections 65(1) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 10 and I2 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

Soon after the FIR, the accused fled to his native district in Uttar Pradesh, triggering a multi-state search operation. A police team camped in Kushinagar for nearly two weeks, tracking his movement across Gorakhpur and adjoining areas.

The accused had allegedly switched off his phone, making technical tracking difficult. “The search operation also coincided with the Ramzan period, posing logistical challenges and affecting the availability of local inputs,” said the investigating officer.

Police said the initial enquiries were hampered due to lack of cooperation from the accused’s relatives. However, sustained field efforts and local inputs helped the team narrow down his movements, especially towards routes leading to the Nepal border.

“Given the lack of technical inputs, the team carried out a continuous 13-day operation, tracking movements across multiple locations and verifying every lead on the ground, ” the officer said. The accused was finally apprehended near the border before he could flee the country, police said.