Junagadh: A 25-year-old madrasa teacher (maulana) in the Junagadh district of Gujarat was arrested for allegedly sodomising at least 10 of his minor students, the police said. Besides the maulana, a 55-year-old trustee of the madrasa was also arrested for allegedly not taking any action on the students’ complaints against the teacher, a statement of the Junagadh Police said on Monday (October 23). While the teacher was nabbed from his hideout in Surat, the madrasa trustee, who had also managed to escape, was caught from a place in Junagadh on Sunday, said the statement.
Police complaint
Based on a complaint given by a 17-year-old boy, the Mangrol police registered an FIR on Sunday against the two accused under Indian Penal Code sections 377 (unnatural intercourse), 323 (assault), 506-2 (criminal intimidation) and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The incident came to the fore when one of the students of the residential school, situated on Mangrol-Veraval bypass, dialled his mother using the mobile phone of another teacher and complained about the maulana’s sexual acts with the students, the police statement said.
Following the information by the boy, the woman approached the police and registered a complaint that the madrasa teacher was allegedly involved in sodomising students residing and studying in the school, it added.
Police take action
The police reached the madrasa premises on October 21 and took students into confidence with the help of some Muslim leaders.
10 boys studying in the madrasa alleged that they were “sodomised” by the maulana, who also had threatened to kill them if any student complaint to their parents regarding the incident.
The students also said that when they approached the madrasa's trustee to register their complaint, he allegedly did not take any action on the matter.
When the trustee realised that a case will be filed against the teacher, he allegedly helped the latter in fleeing from the place, the police said.
Junagadh Superintendent of Police Harshad Mehta visited the madrasa as part of the investigation and assured parents of the students that the police will conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
(With PTI inputs)
