10-Year-Old Accuses Cleric Of Raping Her Inside Mosque, Man Arrested

A mosque cleric in India was arrested Tuesday after a 10-year-old girl accused him of raping her inside the place of worship.

The incident took place in the state of Delhi. “We registered an FIR after receiving a complaint and arrested the accused. Further investigation is in progress and we aim to file a chargesheet soon for speedy justice,” a senior police official told the Indian Express.

The girl said the incident took place Sunday night when she went inside the mosque to fetch water.

“She alleges she was stopped by the accused, who raped her. She informed her parents once she returned home, and they approached local police,” the officer said.

After her family approached the police, the girl was sent for a medical examination. Her current condition was not revealed. The police then deployed officers outside the mosque as several locals had gathered there following the alleged incident.

“Using technical surveillance, police arrested the accused from Ghaziabad,” an officer told local media.

The 47-year-old cleric was booked under section 376 [rape] of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was sent to a 14-day judicial custody by the Delhi court.

Despite strict laws being imposed in the country, crime against women have continued to be on the rise.

On Sunday in the southern city of Hyderabad, a visually-impaired man was arrested for raping his 13-year-old niece multiple times over a span of six months. The incident came to light when the victim's family found out she was pregnant. The girl had complained of stomach ache last week. When she was taken for a medical examination, the doctor told her parents that she was five months pregnant. After being asked several times, she told her mother that her uncle raped her. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she informed about the sexual assault to anyone. The police filed a case under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.