Offender arrested in two-year-old PoCSO Act case

Belagavi Police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a two-year-old rape case involving a minor girl.

Tufail Ahmed Dadapeer of Mahalingpur in Bagalkot district was arrested after an investigation by a team of police officials.

Officers of the District Social Media Monitoring Cell flagged the issue after it was raised by Hindutva activist Puneet Kerehalli.

Puneet Kerehalli said that the police were silent about the issue and that the offender was not arrested in the case. He said that a five-year-old girl was raped in a mosque in October 2023.

Investigators then found that the girl’s parents did not complain to the police due to apprehensions about insult to the family and the girl’s future.

Meanwhile, the police continued investigation based on a complaint by the local Child Development and Protection Officer.

Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar S. Guled said that the accused was charged under PoCSO Act and sent to jail. Further investigation is on to see if the child was raped or if there was an attempt to rape.

“The accused is not a preacher or Mulla. He is an iron frame casting worker. He, however, keeps visiting mosques to address gatherings during some occasions. When the offence was committed, he had run away from home after an altercation with his family members. He was arrested from his native place. The incident came to light after the girl complained. The parents and neighbours discussed the issue and decided to resolve it internally, without approaching the police. The parents refused to complain even now. That is why, we got a complaint by the District Child Protection Committee,” Dr. Guled told reporters here on Wednesday.