Chikkaballapura, June 3
The Karnataka Police on Tuesday arrested the father of a Maulvi on charges of raping a six-year-old girl within the premises of a mosque in Chikkaballapura city, located close to Bengaluru.
The Chikkaballapura Women's police filed an FIR against the accused following a complaint by the victim's mother and subsequently arrested him. The accused has since been remanded to judicial custody.
According to the police, the accused, who is the father of a Maulvi, was given a room to stay on the mosque premises by the jamat out of respect. Misusing this trust, the accused allegedly lured the victim under the pretext of buying her a chocolate and then raped her.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused's son works as a Maulvi at another mosque. The accused, originally from Uttar Pradesh, settled in Chikkaballapura 20 years ago and also sells clothes on the footpath.
Locals have expressed outrage after the incident came to light and have criticised the local jamat for providing shelter to the accused in the mosque. The victim's mother, along with locals, thrashed the accused before handing him over to the police.
Earlier, in a concerning development in Yadgir district, a minor girl filed a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on April 9 against a constable, alleging two years of sexual exploitation by him.