A man accused of raping a minor from Himachal Pradesh has been arrested by a police team from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district after evading arrest for nearly five years, officials said on Saturday.

The accused, Avtar Singh, a resident of Thakrai village, was wanted in connection with an FIR registered at the Kistwar Police Station in 2021 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2021, they said.

Acting on specific inputs, a police team conducted a well-coordinated raid at a suspected location in Himachal Pradesh and arrested the absconder, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Naresh Singh, warned absconders to surrender at the nearest police station, emphasising that strict legal action under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) will be taken against those who continue to evade arrest.

Maps.