\A case was registered against a 50-year-old maulana of a madrasa in Agra district for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl staying at the institution, police said on Thursday.
Malpura police station in-charge Tejveer Singh said three members of the accused's family were also named in the FIR for allegedly threatening and pressuring the girl to keep a lid on the matter.
According to Singh, the issue came to light when the girl met Agra's Senior Superintendent of Police SK Singh and revealed her trauma. The SSP then issued orders to the local police to take action.
At least 30 girls are living in the madrasa. Singh said that the accused, who used to stay in the institution with his three wives and children, was on the run since Monday.
"The case has been registered under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 5F and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the mother of the victim. The accused is absconding, but efforts are being made to nab him,” Singh said. According to the family members of the survivor, the maulana's son, daughter and his grandfather used to issue life threats to the girl to force her silence.
Child rights activist Naresh Paras said at least two more girls may have been abused by the accused. His comments were based on statements of the survivor in the local media reports.
"The matter has been reported to the child welfare committee in Agra and UP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. It is a shocking case and needs proper investigation as at least three girls were targeted by the maulana, who lives with his three wives at the madrasa," Paras said and demanded a mechanism for conducting routine checks at madrasas to prevent these incidents.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a man in a village in Nagra area of Ballia, police said. The incident took place on May 19 and the accused was arrested on Thursday morning.
The woman was allegedly raped by Raja Gupta (23) of the same village, SHO, Nagra, Devendra Nath Dubey, said.