Two of three accused arrested for allegedly raping and killing a 13-year-old girl in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh have escaped from the custody of police, an officer said on Tuesday.
One of them was traced and arrested earlier in the day, hours after his escape on Monday night, while his accomplice is still at large, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Indrajeet Singh Bakalwal.
The girl was allegedly abducted, raped and killed by the three men on the night of September 5 in an agriculture field in Gurjarpada village, about 20 kms away from Ratlam, after she stepped out of her house to buy grocery, police had said.
"Two of the three accused, namely Deepak Singh and Ravi Singh Ninama, gave police the slip while they were getting down from the police vehicle on Monday night on the premises of Bilpank police station," Bakalwal said.
After their escape, the police announced a reward of Rs 10,000 on each of the absconding accused.
One of them, Ravi Singh Ninama, who is deaf and mute, was arrested on Tuesday while Deepak Singh is still at large, the ASP said.
Besides Singh and Ninama, another accused is identified as Kalu Singh Ninama.
All of them were arrested on Monday on a tip-off.
They were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for abduction, rape and murder, and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO).