In the Saharsa district of Bihar, a Madarsa teacher named Mohammad Imtiyaz alias Chunna was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl several times. The victim’s mother had lodged a complaint against the accused on 8th October. Accused Imtiyaz’s crime came to light after the minor victim got pregnant. While the accused has been arrested, the victim is undergoing treatment at a hospital after her child was aborted.
A panchayat was called by some people belonging to the Muslim community to ‘settle’ the matter. The victim’s mother alleged that accused Mohammad Imtiyaz had threatened to kill the victim if she informed anyone about his crime. She claimed that after she filed a complaint against the accused and an FIR was registered at the Sadar Thana police station, a panchayat was called and the victim was offered Rs 10,000 to withdraw the case.
According to the victim’s mother, Tariq, Mumtaz, Anjar, Shamsher, Munna, Chhotkan and others were in attendance in the panchayat that gathered to shield the accused. Tariq is stated to be the Ward Commissioner (Ward Councillor) among these persons involved in pressuring the victim’s family to ‘compromise’. Moreover, they suggested that the victim should take abortion medications. Notably, a POCSO Act case has been filed against the accused.
In the complaint, the victim’s mother explained that she and her husband lived in Delhi. They had left the girl at her grandmother’s house so she could attend the madarsa and continue her education. However, Imtiyaz sexually abused her for months.
The victim’s grandmother said, “Imtiaz from the madrasa was doing wrong things with my granddaughter. He would threaten her with violence if she ever spoke out, which is why she couldn’t tell anyone. She started experiencing abdominal pain and had a high fever, so she was prescribed medication. When she didn’t improve, we took her to a private hospital, where we found out that the madrasa Hafiz Mohammad Imtiyaz had been sexually abusing her. Doctors operated to remove the fetus to save the girl’s life.”