A five-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted by a man before being abandoned in a sack in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on Friday (April 10, 2026). The victim remains hospitalised where her condition is stable, a senior police officer said on Saturday (April 11, 2026).

A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the accused, identified as Dhaneswar Sahu, 35, was subsequently arrested, Patan area Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anoop Lakra said.

According to Mr. Lakra, the child was abducted on Friday (April 10, 2026) afternoon on her way to a shop to buy chocolates after coming home from school.

The accused, a daily wage labourer, allegedly lured the child to his house on the pretext of giving her chocolates.

The girl’s family members initiated a search when she did not return home for a long time. Couple of hours later, two youths from the village spotted movement inside a sack near a well. Upon opening the sack, the minor was found inside with her mouth gagged with a pillow cover, said another police officer.

Mr. Lakra said that information about the girl being found gagged in a sack was received in Utai police station and a team was sent to the spot. The girl was rushed to a hospital where she has been receiving treatment since and is said to be stable, he added.

Police said the accused was inebriated at the time of arrest and a search at his residence led to the recovery of other evidence against him. A forensic team has collected evidence and further probe into the matter is underway, Mr. Lakra said.

The incident triggered a protest with angry villagers surrounding the local police station demanding capital punishment for the accused. The police pacified the mob and brought the situation under control.