A constable of the Chhattisgarh Police force was arrested on Saturday and dismissed from his post after he allegedly assaulted a woman and singed her one-year-old daughter with cigarettes, PTI reported. The woman had filed a first information report against the constable in Balod district.

Constable Avinash Rai, who had been absconding since Thursday night, was arrested from the neighbouring Durg district on Saturday, police officer Jitendra Singh Meena said.

An unidentified police official told The Indian Express that Rai used to live on rent at the woman’s house while he was posted in Balod. “He had been transferred to Durg 20 days ago but had been missing from duty,” the official added.

Meena said that the constable had lent some money to the woman. “On October 24, he went to her place in Balod to collect the amount and continued to stay there,” he added.

On Thursday night, Rai allegedly forced the woman’s daughter to call him “papa”, and when she did not respond, he inflicted burns on her face, stomach and hands with cigarette butts, the police said. He also allegedly thrashed and abused the toddler’s mother before fleeing.

“Based on the woman’s complaint, a case was registered under sections 294 (obscene acts), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections of the JJ Act and the SC/ST Act,” Additional Superintendent of Police DR Porte said. “We have arrested the accused and are investigating further.”

After the FIR was registered, the state Directorate General of Police ordered that Rai be dismissed from service and formed special teams to arrest him.