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A 22-year-old cleric was arrested Wednesday in Karnataka for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl inside a mosque in October 2023, police said.
The incident came to light after CCTV footage, allegedly showing the cleric with the minor, was shared on X on Tuesday. A clip of a purported phone conversation with the parents was also shared.
The social media monitoring unit of Belagavi district informed the police about the posts.
On Wednesday, Belagavi district SP Bheemashankar S Guled said they have arrested the cleric, who hails from Bagalkot district.
The incident took place on October 5, 2023, police said, adding that a case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The SP said: “Police identified the parents and upon checking, the case was found to be prima facie true. However, the parents did not come forward to file a complaint. We communicated the information to the Child Welfare Committee which filed a complaint and the accused was arrested.”
According to Guled, the parents did not file a police complaint fearing social stigma.
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