22-year-old man arrested for raping 5-yr-old in Belagavi: Cops

The accused, identified as Tufelahmed Dadapeer Nagarachi, from Mahalingpur in Mudhol taluk, used to work as a maulvi at a mosque in Yaragatti town

Belagavi: Police in Belagavi have arrested a 22-year-old man accused of raping a 5-year-old girl, police officials said.

Belagavi police have arrested a 22-year-old man accused of raping a 5-year-old girl. (Representational Image.)

The accused, identified as Tufelahmed Dadapeer Nagarachi, from Mahalingpur in Mudhol taluk, used to work as a maulvi at a mosque in Yaragatti town. Belagavi Superintendent of Police Bhimashankar Guled confirmed that the Murgod police reviewed the CCTV footage from the mosque. Nagarachi has confessed to the crime and has been remanded to judicial custody.

According to SP Guled, the police traced the victim’s parents, who had not filed a formal complaint. The parents informed the police that they were hesitant to report the incident out of concern for their daughter’s future.

“As the victim’s family refused to file a complaint, the department informed the District Children Protection Committee, and after a case was lodged, the accused was arrested and remanded to judicial custody,” the SP said.

A person from the mosque, requesting anonymity, said that after the incident came to light, the mosque’s leadership removed Nagarachi from his position and urged the victim’s parents not to file a police report.