Cleric arrested for raping minor boy multiple times in madrassa: Police

New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): The cleric (Maulvi) accused of raping 12-year-old boy multiple times was arrested on Thursday from Saharanpur, the police informed.
On Wednesday, a Delhi Police team reached the village in Saharanpur from where he was arrested, within 24 hours after the incident in North Delhi’s Sarai Rohilla area was brought to their notice.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo told ANI that the alleged incident took place at an unrecognised madrassa.
“On reports of a minor’s rape in a madrasa, we visited the place. A teacher is alleged to have committed the offence. It’s an unrecognised madrasa. A total of 24 children from Bihar and UP stayed there along with teachers. The madrasa did not even have basic facilities such as separate toilets,” he said.
The NCPCR chairman also claimed that the Delhi government did not take any action in the matter.
“Delhi government has neither taken action nor sent the Child Welfare Committee to the spot. We directed the Child Welfare Committee to visit this place so that the children there can be rescued and rehabilitated at the earliest. The victim’s social investigation report has also been sought for from the Delhi government,” Kanoongo further informed.
The principal of the madrassa told ANI that the accused said that the victim was running high fever.
“Four to five days earlier, a teacher noticed on CCTV that someone was trying to cover the camera. As everyone reached the spot, we saw a student lying on a bed. A madrassa teacher was also near him and said the student was running high fever. We asked the teacher to leave for not informing others about the boy’s condition,” he said.
The Principal further informed that the madrassa authorities were ready to face an investigation.
“At that time, the victim denied allegations of sexual assaulting the boy. Two days later, police came here and said the boy was sexually assaulted. We said if we had known about this, we could have handed him over to the police. We are ready to face an investigation,” he added.
Earlier, the police had said the accused cleric sedated the minor and indulged in unnatural sex with him on multiple occasions.
“A 12-year-old boy was raped by an Ulema of a madrasa in the Sarai Rohilla PS area. The accused is absconding and the police are on his lookout,” said DCP North Delhi, Sagar Singh Kalsi.
“An FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act and and IPC sections 377 and 506,” he added.
According to Delhi Police sources, the accused had been teaching at the madrassa since August and was drawing a salary of Rs 10,000 per month. He had previously taught at a madrassa in Himachal.
The victim was studying at the madrassa for the last two years, the police said, adding that he has four siblings and his father works at a jeans factory. (ANI)