NHRC seeks report on child abuse by imam of mosque near Roorkee in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Aug 28 (PTI) The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report on the alleged sexual abuse of a seven-year-old boy by the imam of a mosque in the Jhabreda area near Roorkee recently and issued notices to the Haridwar district authorities seeking a detailed report on the matter.

The boy had gone to the mosque to take tuition from the imam, who allegedly took him to a room forcefully and committed the heinous act.

The incident took place on August 21.

He also threatened to kill the child if he disclosed it to anyone.

However, the child shared his ordeal with his family after reaching home.

Terming the incident a serious case of human rights violation, the NHRC has issued notices to the Haridwar district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP), seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

Haridwar SP (Rural) S C Suyal said the imam was booked under the POCSO Act and Section 351-2 (criminal intimidation) of the BNS based on a complaint filed by his father a day after the incident. The imam was produced before a local court, which sent him to judicial custody, he added. PTI ALM ALM KSS KSS