Faridabad: Cleric accused of molesting Hindu girl, trying to forcibly convert her to Islam

Faridabad, Sep 26 (PTI) A cleric has been accused of holding a Hindu girl hostage in a mosque, allegedly molesting her, and attempting to forcibly convert her to Islam, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred in a village in Palwal district, where the minor's father informed the authorities after rescuing her from the mosque, police added.

The cleric and a teenage boy were apprehended, and an FIR was registered at the Sadar Palwal police station against eight individuals under Section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, among other charges.

The village has been tense since the incident, prompting police to deploy teams outside the mosque and various locations throughout the area, police stated.

According to DSP Narender Khatana, a village local filed a complaint stating that when he returned home around 6.00 pm on Thursday, his minor daughter was missing. Along with his wife and another person, he began searching for her and heard her screaming from the main mosque. Upon entering the mosque, he discovered the cleric and another individual fighting with his daughter.

"At that moment, four other named individuals and two women were engaged in planned religious conversions, holding Qurans. We entered, freed my daughter from their grasp, and raised an alarm. When she saw us, my daughter cried and said that the cleric had cut the sacred thread around her wrist and erased the 'tilak' from her forehead. He pressured her to read the Namaz and convert to Islam, during which he behaved inappropriately and molested her," the girl's father said in his complaint.

He further claimed that as he was leaving the mosque with his daughter, a group of men armed with sticks and rods blocked their path and threatened to kill them if they escalated the matter. They managed to escape and reported the incident to the police.

Following the complaint, an FIR was filed against the cleric, two women, and other named accused individuals on Thursday, police stated.

"Prompt action was taken, and the cleric, who is the main accused, was arrested, along with a juvenile suspect in custody. A reconciliation has been reached between both sides of the village in this matter, and peace has been restored." DSP Khatana stated.

Noting that counselling has been provided to the minor girl, the DCP added that a thorough investigation is being conducted into the matter and assured that the other accused will be arrested soon. PTI COR MPL MPL