Belagavi: Cleric arrested for alleged rape of minor in mosque
Belagavi (Karnataka), Aug 6 (PTI) A 22-year-old cleric Tufail Ahmed Nagarchi was arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl inside a mosque two years ago here, police said on Wednesday.
The alleged incident occurred on October 5, 2023, but came to light on August 5, 2025, after a right-wing activist posted about it on social media, including a recorded phone conversation with the girl's parents.
In the post, the activist claimed that mosque authorities had threatened the girl's father to prevent him from reporting the incident to police or discussing it publicly.
A senior police officer stated that the Belagavi police's social media monitoring unit noticed the activist's post and initiated an investigation.
Police located the girl's parents, who confirmed the incident but were reluctant to file a complaint.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) was informed, and based on their complaint, a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused was subsequently arrested, police added.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
