Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
Akot Fail is one of those parts of Akola where life is lived out in the open. Kids play in the lanes, neighbors chat over tea, and nobody locks their doors during the day. But since yesterday evening, that sense of safety has been buried.
The Incident: The Hour That Changed Everything
It was a typical Tuesday afternoon. The 6-year-old girl—a child who should have been worrying about nothing more than her school homework—was playing near her house. When she didn’t come home for tea, her mother started calling out for her. Ten minutes of silence turned into thirty minutes of panic.
The entire neighborhood joined the search. They found her in a secluded, dark corner of a nearby abandoned structure. The condition she was in didn’t just break her parents’ hearts; it turned the stomach of every adult who saw her. She was rushed to the government hospital, bleeding and in deep shock.
The Manhunt: ‘Give Him to Us’
The news spread through Akot Fail faster than a wildfire. By 8:00 PM last night, a mob of nearly 500 people had surrounded the local police station. The air wasn’t filled with slogans; it was filled with a demand for blood. The public wanted the culprit handed over right then and there.
The Akot Fail police knew they were sitting on a powder keg. They deployed every officer they had, including reinforcements from the City Police headquarters. Using local informants and scanning the sketchy descriptions from shopkeepers who saw a man “acting strange” near the alleyway, the police managed to pick up a suspect in a midnight raid.
The Arrest and the Courtroom Drama (Feb 18, 2026)
Today, the suspect—a local man whose name the police are withholding to prevent further communal or social riots—was produced in court.
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The Remand: The court didn’t waste time. Seeing the severity of the medical reports and the forensic evidence collected from the scene, the judge sent him to police custody.
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The Charges: He is being booked under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) and the BNS (formerly IPC) for rape and criminal intimidation.
But here’s the reality: The police aren’t just investigating him; they are protecting him. They know that if the public gets even a glimpse of him during the transport from jail to court, there will be an attempt on his life.
A City Under Siege
If you walk through Akola today, the tension is something you can feel in your bones.
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The Hospital Front: The 6-year-old is still in the ICU. Doctors say she has undergone surgery and is physically stable, but the mental scars. Those are permanent. The District Collector has visited the family, promising compensation, but in the lanes of Akot Fail, people are saying, “Keep your money, give us justice.”
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The Security Blanket: The State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) has been called in. They are standing at the entrances of the locality with riot gear. The administration is terrified that this incident will be used to spark broader unrest in the city.
The ‘Fast-Track’ Fury
The people of Akola have seen cases like this drag on for ten years. They aren’t having it this time. There is already a call for a ‘Bandh’ (city-wide strike) by local women’s organizations. Their demand is simple: No bail, a special public prosecutor, and a death penalty verdict within six months.
The Social Rot
This incident has exposed the dark underbelly of the city’s outskirts. Akot Fail has struggled with poor lighting, lack of CCTV, and a growing problem with substance abuse among young men. Residents are blaming the local administration for ignoring their safety for years. “We told them the streetlights were out months ago,” one resident shouted at a local politician today. “If there were lights, maybe he wouldn’t have dared.”
What’s Next for Akola?
The police are currently rushing the DNA samples to the forensic lab in Nagpur. They want a “water-tight” case because they know the defense lawyers will look for any small technicality to get the suspect out.
The next 72 hours are critical for Akola. If the child’s health takes a turn for the worse, the city could go up in flames. If the police don’t file a chargesheet quickly, the trust in the law will vanish.
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