PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand government has decided to modernize all the madrasas by installing CCTV cameras in the wake of a shocking case of sexual exploitation of at least five minor girls, aged 5 to 9 years, inside the premises of a religious school which was being run illegally in Rudrapur area in Udhamsingh Nagar district of Uttarakhand.
However, no timeframe has been set for the modernization programme, officials said.
A 34-year-old Maulvi named Shabbir Raza has been arrested on charges of sexually exploiting the minor girls. It is said that he used to scare the minor girls by telling them various horror stories and threatening to unleash spirits on their parents. He is also accused of showing the minor girls porn videos on his mobile.
“This is a very unfortunate incident. A case has already been registered against the Maulvi. He has also been arrested. We will be installing CCTV cameras in all madrasas as part of our modernization programme,” said Shadab Shams, Chairman of Uttarakhand Wakf Board.
The accused Maulvi Shabbir Raza was arrested on August 18 from Malsi village. As per police reports, Raza originally hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district. He was appointed as the Maulvi in the mosque which is located in Malsi village in Rudrapur area.
He was running an illegal madrasa within the Mosque where he was teaching Arabic and Urdu languages to children up to 14-15 years of age. He had built another room for himself inside the madrasa, where an AC was installed. It is said that he committed the heinous crime in this room.
The heinous crime came to the fore when one of the minors narrated her ordeal to her family members on 16th August. Subsequently, on the next day, her mother filed a Police complaint in this matter.
Among the various features of the modernization programme will be to start regular education of all subjects in these madrasas. “Our madrasas will work as schools under the state board where students will get education till 12th standard. The Quran will be taught for one hour in these madrasas,” said Shams.
All the madrasas will run as co-education schools with all subjects and regular teachers, Shams said. “Initially, these schools will be for seventh and eighth standard. Later, these madrasas will be upgraded to 12th class,” Shams said.
Shams also said he would visit the Rudrapur madrasa shortly.