On June 3, the Karnataka Police detained a Maulvi (Islamic religious leader) in the Chitradurga district for sexually assaulting a young girl multiple times on the pretext of curing the ‘possessed’ girl from evil spirits.
According to reports, Maulvi had even brainwashed the victim’s brother into believing that evil spirits possessed her and that sexually assaulting her would cure it.
The Maulvi and the minor victim’s brother committed this horrible act weekly for more than six months. The Maulvi carried out the assaults at her home, pretending it was part of a special ritual to cure her of possession.
The Maulvi served at a local mosque in Chitradurga, Karnataka, where the girl had been attending madrasa. The crime occurred within the jurisdiction of the Chitradurga Women’s Police Station. Police have charged the Maulvi and the minor’s brother under the strict Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The minor victim had been attending Quranic studies at a mosque for three years. The accused Maulvi convinced her parents that she was possessed by evil spirits and needed a special ritual at her house to be cured. The Maulvi, who stands accused of treating the girl for demonic possession, used to visit her house on a weekly basis for a period of six to seven months. On each visit, he would take the victim and her brother into a room, instructing the parents to stay outside. It is reported that Maulvi manipulated the minor’s brother into thinking that sexually assaulting her would cure her of the possession. Shockingly, the Maulvi even recorded the act and proceeded to rape the victim. The Police have stated that this horrific ordeal lasted for a duration of six months.
The crime was uncovered when the girl was hospitalised with stomach pain and revealed the details to her mother. The mother filed a complaint at the women’s police station. Subsequently, the Police registered an FIR against the accused, including the minor’s brother, under the POCSO Act. Further investigation is in progress.
Chitradurga SP Dharmender Kumar Meena stated that both the cleric and the brother have been arrested and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In the Madhubani district of Bihar, a case resembling this incident was recently reported from the Khutauna police station area. According to reports, Maulvi (cleric) Qari Shahnawaz was involved in the repeated sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. He manipulated her by making her swear on the Quran and instilling fear that Allah would not forgive her if she disclosed the abuse to anyone.
The Maulvi repeatedly assaulted the underage girl for an extended period. He would force the girl to stay back after class, silence her screams by stuffing cloth in her mouth, and commit the atrocious act. Moreover, he used a knife to threaten her into silence, preventing her from speaking to anyone, and hence she suffered in silence out of fear. However, her family became suspicious when she became pregnant after seven months, bringing the issue to light.
