Police, with the help of villagers succeeded on Sunday in arresting a rape accused, who was on the run for the past week after allegedly raping a five-year-old girl in the Harda district of Madhya Pradesh on 23 September.

Sources said that the condition of the accused deteriorated after being arrested and police had to rush him to the Harda district hospital, where doctors found that he had consumed some poisonous substance, and provided him treatment. He was soon referred to Bhopal hospital, as doctors said his condition was turning serious.

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Scores of vigilant villagers initially nabbed the accused, identified as Sunil Korku (22), from near the Mata Mandir in Mohanpura area on Sunday morning.

Officials said that the police teams were also continuously searching for the accused and they too reached the spot and took him into custody.

Irate villagers were bent upon thrashing the accused, which could have resulted in an ugly situation but the police officials somehow managed to whisk away the accused from the spot.

The accused man’s condition deteriorated later and he was taken to the Harda district hospital, where a medical examination revealed that he had consumed some poisonous substance, possibly celphos. He was subsequently sent in a serious condition to Bhopal for further treatment.

A reward of Rs 10,000 had been announced on the absconding accused.

Sources said that the accused man had been in jail for three years in the past too in another rape case.

The police had even deployed a thermal imaging drone fitted with a night vision camera above a thickly forested area for three nights to track the absconding accused.

Harda Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rajeshwari Mahobiya said that one thermal imaging night vision drone was used over the thick forest in the Sirali area of the district, as the police suspected that the accused man was hiding in the jungles.

According to police, the victim was found unconscious on the riverside under Sirali police station area on 23 September.

Her family and police rushed the girl to hospital. After she regained consciousness and a medical examination was conducted, it was found that she was raped.

The accused had lured the girl to the deserted place after offering her snacks and allegedly raped her.