PRAYAGRAJ, April 26 -- A 50-year-old man accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl, who had escaped from police custody earlier, was injured and held in a police encounter late Friday night in Kareti area of Pratapgarh after he allegedly opened fire at a team. The accused, identified as Jamaluddin alias Dabbu, a resident of Nai Bazar under Kunda Kotwali, had earlier been arrested in connection with the case. The incident allegedly took place on April 19 when he visited a friend's house in a village under Manikpur. During a brief period when the friend stepped out, the accused allegedly committed the crime. The matter surfaced after the child's father learned about it, following which a case was registered and the accused was taken into custody. Police said that while being transported, Jamaluddin reportedly fell ill and was admitted to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj on the evening of April 21. He later escaped from custody, allegedly misleading two police constables assigned to guard him. Based on a complaint by Narendra Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Manikpur police station, a case was registered at Kotwali police station in Prayagraj against Jamaluddin and the two constables under Sections 261 and 262 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Taking note of the lapse, the superintendent of police (SP), Pratapgarh, suspended both constables with immediate effect and ordered a departmental inquiry. After the escape, police teams led by SHO Narendra Singh launched a search operation. On Friday night, when the team was returning from Kaushambi and crossing a bridge over the Ganga River, the accused was intercepted near Kareti trisection. Police said that when they tried to stop him, he allegedly opened fire....