Belagavi, Aug 6 A 22-year-old Moulvi was arrested by the Karnataka Police in connection with the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl in the state's Belagavi district, police said on Wednesday.
The police said that the incident, which took place in 2023, came to light after the CCTV footage went viral on social media.
The police were able to identify the Moulvi and the girl's parents, leading to the accused's arrest.
A case has been registered at the Muragod police station, and the accused has been remanded to judicial custody.
According to the police, the victim's parents knew about the sexual assault on their daughter but were too afraid to file a police report.
The incident came to public attention after Hindu activist Punith Kerehalli shared the video on his social media account.
In his post, he claimed that the girl's father was seeking justice for his daughter but that people from the mosque had threatened him and were preventing him from contacting the police.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Belagavi Superintendent of Police (SP) Bheemashankar S. Guled said, "Hindu activist Punith Kerehalli had posted a message regarding the case on August 5. The video clip showed a person lying on the girl. The information was immediately provided to the Cybercrimes, Economic and Narcotics Offences (CEN) police station."
Based on the location shown in the video, the CEN police began an investigation.
The Muragod police later took charge, and it was revealed that the incident had occurred on October 5, 2023.
The accused had attempted to rape the girl, who lived in the house next to the mosque, the SP added.
Police Superintendent Guled said that after learning about the incident, locals spoke to the victim's father and decided not to file a police complaint.
After the video went viral, police contacted the victim's parents and attempted to persuade them to file a complaint.
Since the vuctim's parents would not agree, the Child Welfare Committee filed the case on their behalf.
The accused Moulvi worked as a welder and delivered speeches at the mosque whenever he was free.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
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