NOB- Karnataka news: The accused in the kidnapping and murder case of a five-year-old girl in Hubballi, Karnataka, was killed in an encounter with the police, and the police were also injured in the incident, officials said. The accused has been identified as Nitish Kumar (35) from Patna, Bihar. A family from Koppal migrated to Hubballi for employment. The child’s father is a painter. The mother is a housewife. On 123.04.2025 morning, the father went to work, while the mother was working at home. While the child was playing outside the house, a young man took her to a nearby dilapidated shed, promising her chocolates. There, he raped and brutally murdered her. The parents checked the CCTV footage from their house and found that a young man had abducted the girl. The body of the child was found in the shed, leading to a large-scale protest by the public, Kannada and youth groups. On the other hand, the police, who identified the accused as Ritesh Kumar from Bihar, tried to take him into custody. When he tried to escape, the police opened fire. Nitesh Kumar died on the spot after being hit by a bullet in the chest. An SI and two staff members were injured in the incident.