NEW DELHI, June 3: A cleric in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor under the pretext of treating her for demonic possession. The brother of the minor has also been arrested.
The cleric, who is from Uttar Pradesh, was practicing at a local mosque where the girl had been attending Quranic studies for three years.
According to police, the cleric visited the girl’s house and offered to treat her. He then convinced the girl’s brother that she was possessed by the devil and that sexual intercourse was the only cure for her. He then incited the brother to sexually assault the girl, filming the act. The cleric later raped the girl himself.
The abuse allegedly continued for six to seven months, with the cleric and the brother committing the crimes once a week. The matter came to light when the girl was hospitalised with stomach pain and revealed the details to her mother.
A complaint was filed by the survivor’s mother at the women’s police station, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the accused. Chitradurga SP Dharmender Kumar Meena stated that both the cleric and the brother had been arrested and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
(Manas Dasgupta)
