RAWALPINDI: A seminary teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a child and beating another in the limits of the Banni police on Sunday.

The suspect was arrested after a relative of the victims lodged a complaint with Banni police on Saturday.

The complainant told police that two of his nephews, aged eight and 10, were admitted to a seminary in Bagh Sardaran. The children were memorising the Quran and were residing at the seminary.

When they returned home on Eidul Fitr, they refused to go back to the seminary despite the complainant’s efforts, he said.

He said when he asked them why they did not want to go back, the 10-year-old alleged that a teacher at the seminary had sexually assaulted him and another student many times. He said in the FIR that one of his nephews was also threatened of dire consequences if he revealed this to anybody.

The complainant said he and the father of another victim, who was sexually assaulted, went to the son of the accused cleric on Friday, and he assured them that the cleric’s name would be struck from the seminary and requested them not to disclose the incident.

He said on Saturday, when his nephews went back to collect their belongings, the suspect took them to a room and beat them with a stick.

The complainant said when he complained to the seminary owner, he threatened him and told them to keep quiet.

Separately, City Police Officer Mohammad Faisal Rana on Sunday directed the police to crack down on those involved in sexually abusing women and children and then blackmailing them and circulating their videos on social media.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2019