Preacher Arrested For Raping 5-Year-Old Girl Inside Karnataka Mosque In 2023

A preacher has been arrested for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl inside a mosque in Karnataka's Belagavi district in October 2023. The accused, identified as Tufail Ahmad Dadafeer from Mahalingpur, was arrested after the crime was exposed through social media and CCTV footage.  

The incident occurred in 2023, but the case only surfaced recently after an activist shared details on social media. Authorities were alerted, leading to the identification of the victim, the accused, and the location of the crime.

The assault was captured on CCTV cameras inside the mosque. Despite having video evidence, the girl's family hadn't filed a police complaint due to fear and concerns about the child's future.  

When the cops learnt about the incident, they approached the girl's father, urging him to file a formal complaint. However, he reportedly refused, stating he did not want himself or his child involved in the case.  

While the family refused to file a formal complaint, the Belagavi district child protection unit stepped in and registered the case on behalf of the victim. Following this, Tufail Ahmad Dadafeer was arrested by the police. 

According to Dr Bhimashankar S Guled, Superintendent of Police, Belagavi, the accused worked primarily as a welder and installer of truss structures but also preached at various mosques.  

"He used to preach at various mosques; however, on the day of the crime, he had not gone to the mosque to preach but had gone there after a quarrel at home. The child was traumatised, crying, and scared after the incident. Her family checked the CCTV footage and realised what had happened, but did not file a complaint at the time. Even when we approached them, they refused, fearing repercussions. Hence, we acted based on a complaint by the district child protection officer," said Dr Guled.  

The Muragod police are investigating the case further.

Belagavi district was at the centre of another controversy a few days ago when a government school's water tank was poisoned to allegedly remove its Muslim headmaster from his post. The incident, which occurred on July 14, led to the arrest of three people, including a local leader affiliated with a right-wing group called Sri Ram Sene.