Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday said they have arrested a man accused of raping a minor in Kishtwar after he had been evading arrest for five years.
Officials said the accused, Avtar Singh, a resident of Thakrai village in Himachal Pradesh, was wanted in connection with an FIR registered at Kishtwar Police Station in 2021 under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Acting on specific inputs, a police team conducted a well-coordinated raid at a suspected location in Himachal Pradesh and arrested the absconder. Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Naresh Singh warned absconders to surrender at the nearest police station as soon as possible.
Otherwise, strict legal action under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) will be taken against those who continue to evade arrest.
The Jammu and Kashmir police continue to apprehend suspects from within and outside the Union Territory. Recently, one person from Punjab was arrested in Kathua in April 2026 after he had evaded arrest for more than 12 years.
In October 2025 alone, Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested 17 long-term absconders, some of whom had been evading arrest for three decades.
Earlier in August, eight absconding terrorists were arrested in Doda, along with a local who had been on the run for the past 32 years. In February 2025, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was arrested in Kishtwar after remaining in hiding for 19 years.
Also read: Militancy hit property loss matter of KP family reaches CIC
Follow us
