A woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district has alleged that she was drugged and gang-raped by a local cleric and his aide inside a mosque in the pretext of under the pretext of conducting exorcism on her son. The accused, identified as cleric Maulvi Junaid and his aide Nadeem, have been arrested by the police following her complaint.
According to the woman’s statement, on 15th April, Nadeem took her and her young son to the mosque in Seedki village on the pretext of seeking treatment from Maulvi Junaid, claiming he could permanently cure the child’s deteriorating health. “He told me that there was a cleric who would treat my child so that his health would never deteriorate again. So I went there,” she said.
Once there, both the woman and her son were allegedly given water laced with sedatives, causing them to lose consciousness. The woman was then taken to the cleric’s room near the mosque, where Maulvi Junaid and Nadeem allegedly raped her while she was unconscious. When she regained consciousness and protested, the accused threatened to kill her and her family. They said that they had filmed the act and threatened to make the video viral if she revealed the crime to anyone.
Furthermore, the woman stated that the accused took her to the village of Majri on the pretext of dropping her off and assaulted her on the way.
The victim also alleged that when she and her husband went to the Fatehpur police station to file a complaint, the accused also arrived there and threatened her. The police allegedly pressured her to remain silent and not file the complaint. She then reached out to a senior official, who assured her of a thorough investigation and prompt action.
Following this intervention, the police registered a case and arrested both Maulvi Junaid and Nadeem. During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted to sedating the victims and committing the crime in the cleric’s room.
Authorities have assured that appropriate action will be taken against the accused. The victim’s son, who was also sedated, is reported to be safe.
