On 13th March, a special court in Rajasthan’s Kota sentenced a Muslim cleric to life imprisonment for unnatural sex with a 10-year-old boy in a mosque. The accused has been identified as 23-year-old Naseem Khan, originally from Palwal district in Haryana. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 21 thousand on him. The man was adjudged culpable of sodomy and handed down the punishment by the court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The judge also recited a poem for the victim after pronouncing the verdict.
The incident transpired on 22nd October of last year. The uncle of the victim filed a complaint at the Budhadeet Police Station which stated that the 5th grade student had gone to the mosque at three o’clock to read Arabic and receive religious training. The perpetrator, who served there as a cleric and taught Arabic language to students, found the little boy alone and took him to a secluded room. He sexually assaulted the minor and when he started crying, he threatened to kill him if he revealed anything to anyone.
However, the child came home and narrated the entire episode. The authorities were notified who then arrested Naseem Khan and invoked the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act as well as relevant sections of the Indian penal Code including 377 and 506 among others. The chargesheet was submitted within fourteen days and the conviction took place after four months and 20 days of the occurrence.
Lalit Kumar Sharma, the public prosecutor, informed the media that the police completed their investigation in just 14 days and submitted the challan in the court. The statements of eleven witnesses were also recorded in challan which consisted of twenty-four documents.
The defence attorney pleaded not guilty for his client. Nonetheless, the prosecution’s case was deemed persuasive by the court. The prosecution had insisted on a death sentence. At last, the offender was sentenced by Judge Deepak Dubey of Posco Court No. 3 in the Kota district to remain in jail till the day of his life and to pay a fine of twenty-one thousand rupees. The cleric continued to cover his face while he was going to prison after the judgement.
After declaring the decision, the judge also commented on a poem based on the cleric who committed heinous acts on a child in the synagogue. Judge Deepak Dubey read, “My little innocent angels. You are pure and innocent. The world revolves around your smile. The Light of Allah resides in your face. Erase the bitter memories from your mind. We have sent your culprit behind bars for life. Now live this life with laughter. The tears of your eyes will not come home with you.”