Islamic preacher sexually abused minor for months, held under POCSO

Muhammed Niyas Jouhari from Kollam has a significant social media following, with over 2.25 lakh YouTube subscribers.

Keralam: A 34-year-old Islamic preacher and a prominent social media influencer from Keralam has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a minor girl repeatedly over a period of several months last year.

Muhammed Niyas Jouhari from Kollam has a significant social media following, with over 2.25 lakh YouTube subscribers. The girl’s family had been following him on social media.

According to police, he sexually abused the girl under the pretext of performing a ritual to free her grandmother from an evil spirit. He convinced the girl’s mother that she was under the influence of an evil spirit and needed a purification ritual.

He invited the woman and her daughter to his rented premises, where he sexually assaulted the minor repeatedly over several months, beginning in October last year, police said.

The abuse came to light recently when the girl, who had been traumatised by the incidents, confided in her friends. This led to a police complaint.

Jouhari was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections on criminal intimidation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

He has been sent to judicial custody.