Bengaluru | August 6, 2025 : A preacher from Karnataka’s Belagavi district has been arrested for the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl inside a mosque in October 2023. The incident came to light recently after CCTV footage of the assault surfaced on social media.

The accused, identified as Tufail Ahmad Dadafeer from Mahalingpur, was arrested after the District Child Protection Unit registered a formal complaint on behalf of the victim. The child’s family had earlier declined to approach law enforcement due to fear and concerns regarding the girl's safety and future.

According to police, the incident took place in 2023 but remained unreported until an activist shared details and video evidence online. The footage was captured on CCTV cameras installed inside the mosque premises, clearly identifying the accused and the victim.

Superintendent of Police (Belagavi), Dr. Bhimashankar S. Guled, confirmed the arrest and said that the accused had not visited the mosque to preach on the day of the incident, but had gone there following a domestic argument. “He used to occasionally preach at various mosques, but on that day, he entered the mosque after a quarrel at home. The child was present and vulnerable. After the incident, she was found crying and traumatised. Her family later reviewed the CCTV footage and discovered what had occurred,” said Dr. Guled.

Despite having video evidence, the victim’s family did not file a police complaint. “When police approached the father of the child after the footage became public, he declined to file a case, citing fear and the child's future,” the SP said. The Belagavi District Child Protection Unit then stepped in to file a formal complaint, enabling police to register the case and arrest the accused.

The Muragod Police Station is handling the investigation. Authorities said the accused worked primarily as a welder and installer of truss structures and was not a full-time religious figure.

Legal experts have noted that under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, authorities are mandated to act upon credible evidence or reports of child abuse, regardless of whether a formal complaint is filed by the family. In this case, the state’s intervention ensured that legal proceedings could move forward.

In recent weeks, Belagavi district has witnessed heightened tensions, including another high-profile case in which a government school’s water tank was allegedly poisoned in an attempt to remove its Muslim headmaster. That incident, which took place on July 14, led to the arrest of three individuals, including a local leader associated with the right-wing outfit Sri Ram Sene.

Police have assured that further investigation will continue in the rape case and that the child is being offered necessary support, including counseling and protection services. Officials have appealed to the public to report such crimes without fear and underlined that child safety remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies.