Thrissur,
April 25: A 43-year-old Madrasa teacher Abdul Haneefa Madani from Kasaragod
district of Kerala has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping one of
his students, a 14-year-old boy. The forced sodomy happened on different
occasions until May 2016, when the family of the boy filed a complaint at Ambalathara
Police Station situated in Kasaragod district.
“Haneefa
is an ustad who used to lure the child to his house in the evenings after
classes and assault him. Police were informed after the boy complained to his
family,” said Raghunathan, ASI, Ambalathara. “He has been charged under section
377 of the IPC as well as the POCSO Act,” he said, adding that he has been
charged with two more cases of rape of minors. Haneefa is a native of Puthur in
Kannur district.
Additional
Sessions Court Judge K T Nirmala found Haneefa guilty, under section 5 of the
POCSO act. The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 100,000, which if not paid
would mean another year in prision. Haneefa is currently in the Kannur Central
Prison.
Repeated
incidents of Madrasa teachers’ sexually exploiting minor boys and girls has led
to public outcry, with many opining that only women should be appointed as
teachers.