A mosque teacher in Larkana was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a 10-year-old student.
The victim's father told the police that his son was a student in the third grade. He regularly attended religious classes at the mosque near their residence.
Police were told that family members, the brother and cousin of the boy's father, caught the teacher sexually assaulting the boy when they visited the mosque for afternoon prayers. Upon being caught, the teacher fled.
He was later later apprehended by the police.
He was booked in an FIR lodged at a local police station in Larkana under sections 377 and 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Section 377: Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 295: Injuring or defiling place of worship, with Intent to insult the religion of any class: Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction damage or defilement as an insult to their religion. shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
The victim's father told the police in the official complaint that the accused belonged to the same tribe as their family and was thus known to them. The father expressed his son's emotional trauma following the incident and revealed that the accused's family had attempted to pressure them into resolving the matter privately without involving the authorities.
However, the father said he was resolute, saying, "We are under pressure, but we will not spare the man who ruined my son's life."
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with a viral video of the incident prompting widespread condemnation and calls for stern action against the accused. The police have taken the accused into custody, and an investigation is underway.