New Delhi, June 3: A man, who had been on the run after allegedly raping a 4-year-old girl, was arrested in Delhi's Alipur area, the police said on Tuesday.

Shambhu Yadav (38), was convicted in a 2016 case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018, the police said, however, he went absconding in April 2020 after being granted eight weeks of emergency parole due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yadav was traced and apprehended from Bihar's Gaya district following a 48-hour-long operation. Delhi Shocker: Man Shot at During Argument Over Spitting ‘Gutkha’ in Khajuri Khas; 1 Arrested.

The jail authorities had declared a reward of Rs 5,000 for information leading to his arrest, a senior police officer said. "Yadav had been evading the law since 2020. He was not using a mobile phone and had cut off contact with his family to avoid detection. He kept changing his location frequently, working as a labourer or security guard in different parts of Bihar and West Bengal," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora said. After months of dead ends, the police received a tip-off about Yadav's possible movement near Gaya. Delhi Shocker: Man Held for Cyberstalking, Blackmailing Woman With Explicit Photos and Videos Over 3 Years.

Yadav had arrived in Delhi searching for work and was employed at a factory in Tikri Khurd, Alipur. “In 2016, he lured a four-year-old girl from the same premises into his rented room and sexually assaulted her. He was arrested on the spot and subsequently convicted under relevant sections of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act,” the DCP added. After being granted emergency parole on April 18, 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, Yadav travelled to his native village. However, he failed to return after the parole period ended and went off the grid, frequently changing locations and avoiding mobile phone usage to escape police tracking, the DCP said.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.