
In a shocking incident, about 51 girls were rescued from a madrasa in Lucknow’s Old City area on Friday night. The police raided Madrasa Jamia Khadeejtul Qubra Lilabnat in Yasinganj area under Saadatganj police station after receiving a tip-off that the girls were sexually harassed and arrested the manager of the institution.
“The madrasa manager, Mohammad Taiyab Zia, was arrested and 51 girls being held hostage in the institution in the Old City area were rescued following the raid,” PTI quoted the police as saying. On Saturday, Zia was produced in a court, which sent him to 14 days’ judicial custody.
What comes as a surprise is that no one had an inkling of such activities going on in the madrasa despite it being located at a prime area in Lucknow. The matter only came to light after the girls threw chits out of the windows detailing their ordeal, following which the neighbours alerted the law enforcement agencies.
Police said they have made arrangements for sending the inmates to their parents. They said the girls have alleged inhumane treatment and molestation by the madrasa’s manager. “The girls have accused the manager of the madrasa of molestation. An FIR has been registered. We are also investigating if the madrasa was registered or not,” said SP Lucknow (West). The police said more than 100 girls studied at the madrasa and the rest were not present at the time of raid.
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(With inputs from agencies)
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