UP maulana gets life term for raping 11-year-old girl inside mosque

A special POCSO court in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur sentenced a mosque cleric to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl inside mosque premises. The conviction followed the survivor's complaint, a police charge sheet and the court's assessment of key evidence.

In Short

• The assault took place inside a village mosque on November 29, 2023
• The girl had gone there with her younger brother for lessons
• After class, the cleric isolated her by sending other children away

A special POCSO court in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur has sentenced a mosque cleric to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl inside a mosque premises. Apart from life imprisonment, Special Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Kharwar of the POCSO court, also slapped a financial penalty of Rs 26,000 on the convict - Muntazir Alam.

According to Government Counsel Rudra Pratap Singh, the incident took place on the morning of November 29, 2023, in a village under the Kurara police jurisdiction. The 11-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother had gone to the village mosque for their routine lessons conducted by Alam.

After their classes, the cleric sent the other children home early. He then instructed the girl's brother to wash utensils outside and ordered her to sweep the floor. While she was alone, Alam forcefully dragged her to a bed and assaulted her.

The girl managed to escape, reached home, and narrated the ordeal to her grandmother. Realising the gravity of the crime, her uncle rushed her to the Kurara police station and lodged a formal complaint.

The local police acted promptly, registering a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. Following a thorough investigation, a chargesheet was submitted to the court. Evaluating the critical evidence, the court ensured the convict remains behind bars for the rest of his natural life.

- Ends