Gorakhpur, Feb. 22 -- An eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted at a wedding ceremony in the Pipighanj area of Gorakhpur late Friday night, said police officials. The child is currently in critical condition and battling for her life at the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College. According to police, the girl had arrived at a wedding venue in Pipighanj town with her grandmother. She went missing around 11:30 pm while family members were engaged in the 'Jaymala' ceremony . A frantic search began, and someone alerted the police by dialing the emergency number 112.Circle officer (CO) Yogendra Singh stated that police received the call around 3 am and immediately swung into action. Subsequently, the girl was found unconscious in a field approximately 200 meters from the wedding venue, with bloodstains on her body. She was rushed to the Pipighanj Community Health Centre (CHC). Due to her critical condition, she was later referred to the BRD Medical College for specialised treatment. Using drone cameras and CCTV footage from the area, police identified the accused as 20-year-old Ashok Nishad, also known as Natey, a resident of Takiya Village. The footage showed him holding the girl's hand and leading her away from the banquet hall. The accused was arrested within four hours of the incident. Station house officer (SHO) Prem Pal Singh confirmed that a case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a written complaint filed by the victim's grandmother. "The victim, a resident of Siddharth Nagar district, was at the ceremony with her grandmother. The accused took advantage of the crowded setting and lured the child away," said SHO Singh. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody, and further investigation is underway. The child's condition remains critical, with doctors at BRD Medical College monitoring her closely....