An FIR has been filed against a Muslim cleric for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old minor girl inside a mosque in Gurugram district’s Pataudi on September 27.
Haryana | On basis of a complaint from a man, an FIR was registered against a Maulvi for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl inside a mosque in Gurugram district’s Pataudi on September 27
— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021
The incident came to light on Monday afternoon after the girl told her parents that she had been inappropriately touched by the maulvi in the mosque. Soon thereafter, a large group of villagers accosted the maulvi and roughed him up for allegedly molesting the girl. The video of the assault was apparently shot by one of the villagers who insisted that the girl was molested inside the mosque.
गुरुग्राम- मस्जिद के अंदर 9 साल की बच्ची से छेड़छाड़।
— Ravi Pratap Dubey 🇮🇳 (@ravipratapdubey) September 28, 2021
चंदा इक्कट्ठा करने आए जमाती इमाम ने दिया वारदात को अंजाम।
मौलवी को खाना देने गई बच्ची के इमाम ने की गंदी हरकत।
आरोपी जमाती इमाम की लोगों ने की जमकर धुनाई।
पटौदी इलाके में सोमवार दोपहर करीब 12 बजे हुई वारदात। pic.twitter.com/H7DvwngI6b
The video, which soon went viral on social media, shows a 35-year-old man, dressed in a white kurta, pyjama and a skull cap, being assaulted by a frenzied mob that had gathered around the mosque after the girl complained of mistreatment meted out on her by the maulvi. A police team rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd to rescue the beleaguered maulvi.
Later on Monday evening, the victim’s mother filed a complaint against the maulvi. She said her daughter had gone to the mosque to deliver food. The main maulvi of the mosque was not present. The other maulvi held her daughter’s hand and dragged her towards him. He also kissed her, the woman alleged. Frightened by her ordeal, the girl ran to her family and narrated the incident to them.
The police have recorded the girl’s statement and slapped a case under Section 8 of the POCSO Act(Sexual Assault) against the maulvi.
Rising number of sexual assaults committed by maulvis inside mosques
Of late, there has been a rise of crimes of sexual nature committed inside mosques. Recently, a 47-year-old Muslim cleric was arrested in Delhi for raping a 10-year-old minor girl inside a mosque.
The girl had gone inside the mosque to fetch water at 10 PM. The cleric allegedly stopped her and then raped her. Once she reached home, she informed her parents who then approached the police. Following the incident coming to light, local people were agitated and hence police force was deployed outside the mosque. An FIR has been registered and the Delhi court has sent him to 14-day judicial custody.
Another such case was of a Muslim cleric in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi who raped a minor girl inside a mosque and pushed her into the well to die. The incident came to the fore when the 14-year-old victim’s family approached the police station, seven days after the incident.
Speaking about the incident, Bhiwadi Circle officer Hariram Kumawat said that the accused maulvi, who hailed from Bisaru village in Punhana town of Nuh district, Haryana, lived in a mosque in Bhiwadi. The cleric allegedly took the 14-year-old minor from her house to the mosque on the night of April 1, where he raped her. At around 3:30 pm, when the family reached the mosque searching for their missing daughter, the Maulvi pushed the victim into the well.
After throwing her into the well, Maulana Zafru fled with his family. People who had gathered there took the girl out safely from the well and approached the police to register a case against the Maulana.
Note: Earlier version of the report included video of a maulvi confessing to raping a 9-year-old child. However, that video is of another maulvi confessing to raping a child. Error is regretted.
