MEERUT, June 23 -- For three days, police in Sambhal district chased dead ends. CCTV footage yielded little, local inquiries produced no breakthrough, and investigators were struggling to identify the person behind the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl. Then Mary arrived.

The seven-year-old labrador, part of the district's K-9 unit, followed a scent trail from a 'gamcha' (traditional cotton towel) recovered near the crime scene and led police straight to the house of the accused, providing the clue that cracked the case.

Recognising her role in the investigation, Sambhal superintendent of police (SP) Krishan Kumar Bishnoi on Monday rewarded Mary with a cheque of Rs.10,000.

The case began on June 18 when a six-year-old girl from a vil...