National: A significant judgment was delivered by a Taliparamba court in Kerala, sentencing a madrasa teacher to a total of 187 years of imprisonment. The verdict came on Tuesday in a case involving the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in the Kannur district.
The convicted individual, identified as Muhammed Rafi, who resides in Alakode, was found guilty of offenses under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court’s decision also included a monetary penalty of Rs 9 lakh imposed on Rafi.
According to the details that emerged during the investigation, the reprehensible acts took place between the years 2020 and 2021, coinciding with the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Law enforcement officials reported that Rafi allegedly gained the trust of the young victim before subjecting her to repeated abuse. The case was officially registered at the Pazhayangadi police station.
The court, in its pronouncement, emphasized the gravity of the crime committed by Rafi. Furthermore, the court took note of his prior history as a repeat offender, referencing a previous case registered against him under the POCSO Act at the Valapattanam police station. It was revealed that Rafi was out on bail in connection with that earlier offense when the current crime was perpetrated.
This distressing case emerges in the wake of another concerning incident reported in Bengaluru in February. In that instance, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted at a madrasa situated in Hegde Nagar.
Mohammad Hasan, the son of the hostel in-charge, was apprehended after CCTV footage purportedly captured him physically abusing the child following a disagreement. He has been charged under pertinent sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
These distinct incidents collectively highlight growing anxieties surrounding the safety and welfare of children within the environments of educational and religious institutions.
Read More: Manipur: Outrage Erupts in Sagolband Following Midnight Attack on Orphanage