A special POCSO court in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district has sentenced Maulana Muntazir Alam to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl inside a mosque. The court stated that the punishment would continue for the convict’s entire life, meaning he will remain in jail till death. A fine of ₹26,000 has also been imposed on him.
The incident happened during morning classes at the mosque
The incident took place on 29th November, 2023, in a village under the Kurara police station area. According to Special Public Prosecutor Rudra Pratap Singh, the girl had gone to the mosque around 7 a.m. to study Urdu-Arabic, as several village children regularly attended classes there.
On that day, Maulana Muntazir Alam, who is from the Rauta police station area of Purnia district in Bihar, reportedly sent the other children away from the mosque.
Younger brother was kept busy
The victim had gone to the mosque along with her younger brother. The accused made the boy wash utensils while keeping the girl back on the excuse of work inside the mosque.
He then took the child into his room and raped her.
After the incident, the girl returned home at around 8:30 a.m. and tearfully narrated everything to her grandmother. The family immediately informed other relatives, and the victim’s uncle later filed a complaint at the police station.
Police arrested the accused after FIR
Police registered a case under strict criminal provisions and arrested the accused soon after the complaint was filed. He was later sent to jail, and the matter went to trial.
The case remained in court for nearly two and a half years. During the hearing, witness statements and evidence were presented before the court.
Special Judge (POCSO Act) Anil Kumar Kharwar, after examining the evidence, found the accused guilty. While announcing the sentence, the court clearly said this would not be a regular life term and that the convict would stay behind bars for the rest of his life.
