Teacher held for raping 9yearold in Bawana
HORROR The teacher had allegedly threatened to kill the girl’s parents if she told anybody
NEW DELHI: A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped on Sunday at a madrasa in outer Delhi’s Bawana JJ Colony by a 67-yearold man who ran the educational institution, police said on Wednesday.
The teacher was arrested and he confessed, the police said.
The girl suffered injuries to her private parts and had been bleeding. But she remained quiet because the teacher had allegedly threatened to kill her parents if she told anybody about it, said her family members. He purportedly kept a vigil on her activities and kept reminding her of the consequences.
The crime came to light on Tuesday after a neighbour found blood stains on the girl’s clothes and alerted her family. She was admitted to Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar Hospital where she is undergoing treatment.
“The patient is not critical and stable. She was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment — she was given medicines. No surgical procedure was needed,” said Dr Punita Mahajan, medical director of Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar hospital.
In her statement, she told police that on Sunday, around 7 pm, the teacher locked himself with her in a room at the madrasa and gave her a ₹ 5 coin after other students left. He allegedly pushed her onto the bed and raped her.
“When she screamed, the hafiz (teacher) shut her mouth with his hand. He slapped her two-three times and hit her hand with a pair of tongs. The teacher raped her and then asked her to return home,” said the girl’s aunt, who lives in the neighbourhood.
The aunt said her niece complained of pain in lower abdomen in the evening. “I panicked when I saw blood on her clothes,” said the aunt. The aunt informed the girl’s father and they took the child to a local doctor, who suspected sexual assault. Around midnight, a police team reached and admitted the child to Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar hospital.
Rajneesh Gupta, deputy commissioner of police (Rohini), said, “A case under relevant sections of protection of children from sexual offences Act and Indian Penal Code was registered and the teacher, Mohammad Zakir Alam, was arrested.”
The girl’s family members and locals suspect Alam of allegedly sexually harassing other children as well who studied in the institution. They said more than 40 children, mostly girls, were studying when the madrasa was started some five years ago. The number started decreasing every passing month.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal met the girl and her family at the hospital on Wednesday. “Feeling sick to the core. Seeing child rape survivor is gut wrenching... Who is responsible? Both system and society — for its their deafening silence which ensures status quo (sic),” Maliwal tweeted after meeting the girl.
The girl lives with her parents, three siblings and other family members in a slum. She is a Class 3 student at a local government school. Her father is a rag picker while the mother is mentally disabled.