Etawah (UP), May 17 : An individual, accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl, was injured in a police encounter in the Barhpura area of Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district, officials said on Sunday.

According to the officials, the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when a six-year-old girl, the daughter of a labourer, went out to pluck mangoes near her home.

"The accused lured her into the bushes and subjected her to sexual assault. Upon receiving news of the incident, the victim's family members and villagers rushed to the scene, apprehended the accused on the spot, and handed him over to the police," police said.

According to Circle Officer (CO) of Jaswantnagar, Ayushi Singh, when the victim went to pluck mangoes near a brick kiln on Saturday and was lured by the accused, another child playing nearby witnessed the incident and ran to inform the victim's family members.

"As the family and villagers rushed toward the bushes, the accused -- identified as 22-year-old Nitin, a resident of Nagla Ajit, attempted to flee. The villagers surrounded and captured him. After beating the accused, they alerted the local police station," Singh said.

Given the gravity of the incident, Etawah Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brajesh Kumar Srivastava directed Etawah Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Abhaynath Tripathi and Jaswantnagar CO Ayushi Singh to initiate immediate action.

A team led by Narendra Mishra, the Station In-charge of Barhpura, arrived at the scene to arrest the accused and commence an investigation. The victim was immediately sent to a hospital for a medical examination, and necessary medical and legal proceedings were initiated.

An FIR regarding the incident has been registered at the Barhpura police station based on a written complaint filed by the victim's mother. During police interrogation, the accused confessed to committing the crime and revealed that he had concealed evidence related to the incident.

"When the police team proceeded to the location indicated by the accused to recover the evidence, he attacked the officers, attempted to snatch Sub-Inspector Kuldeep Singh's pistol, and opened fire with the intent to kill," CO Ayushi Singh said.

"Acting in self-defence, the police returned fire. The accused sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg and was injured. He was arrested on the spot and immediately transported to a hospital for medical treatment. During the subsequent interrogation and investigation, the police recovered significant physical evidence and clothing related to the incident from the location identified by the accused," she said.

Additionally, the CO said that a service pistol and two spent cartridges (9mm) were seized from the possession of the accused.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

Further details are awaited.

/IANS