PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 30 -- The prime accused in the rape of an eight-year-old girl, was apprehended late Sunday night in Pratapgarh, five days after escaping police custody. The accused identified as Javed, also known as Chand Babu, a resident of Udaiyadih under Patti police station in Pratapgarh district, sustained a gunshot injury during a police encounter on the night of December 20 and was under police supervision at a medical college hospital. Despite the presence of sub-inspector Keshav Prasad, head constable Vinod Singh, Adarsh Yadav, and constable Gulshan Kumar, he managed to escape on the morning of December 24. Following his escape, the four officers were suspended and named as co-accused in the case for negligence. After fleeing, Javed reportedly boarded a train to Sultanpur with plans to travel further to Varanasi. Lacking a mobile phone made tracking him particularly difficult, and police monitored his family and relatives in an effort to locate him. He moved across nearby districts and occasionally returned to monitor police activity, officials said. Special teams, supervised by SP Deepak Bhukar, were deployed to track him down. Using CCTV footage and coordinated efforts, inspector Arjun Singh, along with inspector Mohd Ibrar Ansari, recaptured Javed from the Azad Nagar area of Pratapgarh, the SP confirmed. Despite a slight limp from his gunshot injury, Javed remained active during his escape. Police said he survived by begging for money, feigning injury, and occasionally eating at public gatherings. His movements included Sultanpur, Varanasi, Lakhimpur, Jaunpur, and the Patti area's Saifabad before he was finally taken into custody. Javed's arrest ends a tense five-day manhunt, and the police continue to investigate the lapses that allowed his initial escape. It is worth mentioning that the incident of sexual assault occurred on December 20 in Udaidih Bazaar under Patti Kotwali police station. The minor girl had gone to the fields in the evening when she was allegedly assaulted. Her father lodged a complaint, and police registered a case under the POCSO Act. Javed initially remained absconding, while two accomplices were arrested on December 22 and sent to jail. Police had announced a reward of Rs.25,000 for information leading to his arrest. On the night of December 23, a police team from Patti Kotwali, led by SHO Abhishek Singh Sirohi, had traced Javed near Amapur mod. Police said he fired at officers when they attempted to arrest him. Following the encounter, he was admitted to the hospital under police guard....