Hubballi: 

The accused was identified as 35-year-old Ritesh Kumar, a native of Patna. He was booked on charges of murder under the POCSO Act and also for attacking and attempting to murder police personnel. The girl was allegedly kidnapped and killed by him in the morning within the Ashok Nagar police station limits here. Her body was later found in an abandoned building, police said.

 A labourer from Bihar who allegedly kidnapped and murdered a five-year-old girl in Karnataka's Hubbali district on Sunday morning was shot dead by police in the evening when "he tried to escape".

Outraged by the murder, a large number of residents gathered in front of the Ashok Nagar police station and staged a protest demanding justice. "Based on CCTV footage and leads from locals, the accused was taken into custody and interrogated for three to four hours. He shared very little information and failed to establish his identity conclusively. However, the CCTV footage clearly captures him committing the crime," Police Commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad N Shashi Kumar told reporters here.

He further stated that the accused had been away from home for several years, taking up work wherever available. "He is believed to have arrived in Hubballi two to three months ago and was living in an abandoned house near the Tarihala underpass," the Commissioner said.

"To verify his identity and collect any documents, he was taken to his place of stay. Suddenly, he threw stones at the police vehicle and attacked the officers before trying to flee. Our woman officer, PSI Annapurna, fired a warning shot in the air. When he did not stop, two to three rounds were fired at him. One bullet struck his leg, and another hit his back," he added.

"The five-year-old girl's death has been registered as a murder case. A POCSO case has also been filed as he allegedly misbehaved with the child," he added. "A separate case for attacking and attempting to murder police personnel has also been registered. Further investigation is underway," the Commissioner said.

The accused collapsed and was immediately shifted to KMC Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the Commissioner said. PSI Annapurna and two personnel—Yeshwant and Veeresh—were injured in the incident but are out of danger, he added.

Earlier in the day, while sharing details about the girl's death, the Commissioner said the girl's family hailed from the Koppal district. Her mother works as a housemaid and part-time assistant at a beauty parlour, while her father is a painter.

"The mother had taken her daughter along as she was working in houses in the locality. A man reportedly took the child from there. Upon searching, the girl was found in the bathroom of a small, sheet-roofed building opposite the house where she had gone missing. She was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead," he said.

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