The prime accused in the brutal abduction, rape, and murder of an 11-year-old girl in south Delhi was injured in a police encounter late Tuesday night. According to police officials, the confrontation occurred when a team took the accused to the Mehrauli forest area to recreate the crime scene as part of the ongoing investigation.

The accused, identified as Bablu, an app-based cab driver originally from Bihar, allegedly attempted to flee police custody at the site. To prevent his escape, a police team fired at him, hitting him in his left leg. He was subsequently carried out of the forested terrain by security personnel and admitted to a nearby government hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment under tight security.

Abducted While Sleeping on Footpath

The chilling crime came to light early Monday morning. The victim, part of a migrant family of daily-wage laborers, lived on a footpath near CDR Chowk and supported her family by selling balloons. She was one of four siblings.

According to details emerging from police interrogations, Bablu was driving past the stretch early Monday when he spotted the minor sleeping on the pavement.

"The accused confessed that he picked up the girl in her sleep, placed her on the rear seat of his taxi, and drove deep into the Mehrauli forest area," a senior police officer close to the investigation said.

After allegedly assaulting and murdering the child, the accused dumped her body in the dense undergrowth.

Arrested Within Four Hours

The incident was first flagged around 6:00 AM on Monday when the victim's family noticed her missing and raised an alarm via a PCR call to the Mehrauli police station.

Plugging into local intelligence and reviewing a network of CCTV feeds from routes leading away from CDR Chowk, investigators managed to zero in on the suspect vehicle. A combination of digital surveillance and a tip-off from a local informant led to Bablu's arrest within four hours of the initial complaint.

Following his subsequent confession during intense questioning, police teams launched a search operation and recovered the minor's body from the Mehrauli forest. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, and forensic teams have secured vital biological evidence from the suspect's vehicle.

Accused Has Prior Criminal Record

Mehrauli police revealed that the accused cab driver has a history of run-ins with the law. Preliminary verification of his background indicates existing police records against him for physical assault and operating commercial vehicles under the influence of alcohol.

While the accused continues to recover from his bullet wound under heavy police guard at the hospital, legal proceedings under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act are being fast-tracked. Further forensic reports from the crime scene reconstruction are awaited.