PRATAPGARH, May 20 -- A 17-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by three youths in Pratapgarh district on Monday night, police said. Swinging into action, a police team nabbed one of the rape accused identified as Sohail following an encounter in which he sustained a bullet injury. Additional superintendent of police (East) Alok Kumar said, "A woman from Antu lodged a complaint alleging that her daughter was abducted and gang-raped by some persons. During the search operation, one accused was injured in an encounter after being shot. Investigation has revealed that the accused were previously known to the girl and that they were in a relationship. Efforts are underway to arrest the absconding accused." According to police, the girl from a village near Chamanganj market under Antu police station area was allegedly kidnapped in a car by the three youths from Khampur village in Dilippur. She was later found unconscious near her village early on Tuesday. Police said the survivor had become friends with Guddu Khan, a resident of Khampur, through Facebook. On Monday evening, Guddu allegedly called her on the pretext of taking her for an outing and brought her to Mahuli Mandi under Nagar Kotwali police area on a motorcycle. Police said Guddu was later joined by his two friends, identified as Sohail and Irfan. The trio allegedly took the girl in a car to an orchard where they allegedly gang-raped her before abandoning her unconscious near her village around 4 am. The girl was spotted by a woman from her family on Tuesday morning. Family members informed the police and rushed the girl to Sandwa Chandika community health centre. After regaining consciousness, the teenager narrated the incident, following which her mother lodged an FIR against the three accused under gangrape and abduction charges. Circle officer (city) Prashant Raj Hooda along with local police visited the spot and began the investigation. During the search for the accused, police teams led by SHO Abhishek Singh Sirohi and Garwara police outpost in-charge Sachin Yadav received accused Sohail's location and laid a siege in the Lohangpur forest area under Antu police station on Tuesday afternoon. Police said two youths arriving on a motorcycle opened fire on the police team when they were intercepted. In the retaliatory firing, the accused sustained a bullet injury in his right leg, while the other managed to escape, the SHO said. The police team recovered a country-made pistol from the injured accused and admitted him to a hospital. The car allegedly used in the crime was also seized, he added....