A 43-year-old madrassa cleric named Zubair Darimi was arrested for sodomizing a 13-year-old student in the Kasaragod district of Kerala.

The pedophile had a history of similar sexual assaults on young children. Mosque authorities who covered up the incident are yet to be arrested, and there are allegations that the authorities are trying to shield them. 

The incident happened at a madrassa attached to the Aadoor jamaat mosque. It is a boarding facility and the minors learning Arabic and Islamic studies were subjected to unnatural sex over the past several months. 

Darimi is a native of somewhere in south Karnataka and the rapes took place for several months until March this year. The victim is from Periye in Kasaragod. The incident came to light after the minor’s mother approached the mosque committee and complained about the rape.

Fearing the Muslim cleric, the student did not disclose the persecution during the early stages. During Ramadan in March, the cleric continued to indulge in sex with the boy. This was when the victim opened up about the incident to his family. The student was fasting during that period and the shocked family complained to the Jamaat committee members.

Committee members tried to shame the boy and told his family that his future would be at stake if they disclosed the matter to anyone else. They tried their best to contain the sexual assault that their cleric had indulged. The members promised action against the cleric and the family left the boy at the same boarding school and went home.

Instead of punishing him, the mosque committee transferred the pedophile to another madrassa cum boarding school near Padanakkad in the same district. Someone then leaked the information to the Child Helpline authorities. When the childline officials approached the committee members, they refused to cooperate. Investigations led them to the victim, who revealed what had happened to the authorities. 

It was only then that the mosque committee decided to cooperate. Childline officials intimated the Adoor police and Adoor inspector of police Anil Kumar arrested Darimi from the Padanakkad madrassa where he worked. 

Earlier, there were allegations that Darimi plied minors with cannabis and sodomized them while working at a madrassa within Badiyadka police station limits. Locals destroyed his car, but the mosque authorities tried communalizing the issue. No one came forward to register a police complaint. 

After the Aadoor incident, at least nine minors from the same madrassa confessed that Darimi had sexually abused them. Mosque authorities had silenced them all. It is said that Darimi has good oratorical skills and that is the reason why the mosque is not ready to give him up. 

Police officials confirmed that the number of accused will rise and that they are investigating. Police also registered a complaint against mosque officials who concealed the rape and criminally conspired to help Darimi escape the law. Darimi has been charged with sections under the POCSO Act and locals demanded that the mosque authorities also face similar charges. 

Darimi uploaded several YouTube lecture videos about homosexuality, misconduct among youth, and the importance of families for young children. A local court remanded Darimi to judicial custody and he is not locked up in the district sub-jail.

References:

hindupost.in