Head of a dera in Ludhiana arrested for raping 15-year-old girl

The victim stated that the accused used to give them ₹10 for performing community service. On March 28, after performing community service, the accused called her to take the money. When she went inside the room, the accused raped her.

The head of a religious dera near Behlolpur village of Machhiwara was arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl on the premises.

The dera is located near Behlolpur village of Machhiwara. (Representational image) (HT FILE)

The accused has been identified as Gian Chand.

The victim used to do community service at the dera with her family members.

The FIR has been lodged on the statement of the victim’s mother. The complainant stated that her daughter had gone to the dera on March 28 for community service. When she did not return, she initiated a search for her.

The complainant added that when she reached the dera, she was shocked to see the accused raping her daughter. She immediately raised the alarm following which the accused managed to escape from the spot.

Machhiwara station house officer, inspector Rajesh Thakur said a rape case has been registered against the accused. Police arrested the accused on Tuesday.

The victim stated that the accused used to give them ₹10 for performing community service. On March 28, after performing community service, the accused called her to take the money. When she went inside the room, the accused sexually assaulted her.

On March 5, in a similar incident, a local dera head raped a 22-year-old woman and dumped the body in the fields near Daad village after murdering her. The Division Number 5 police had lodged an FIR against the accused and arrested him. The police have recovered the mobile phone of the woman from the accused.