A 22-year-old cleric has been arrested in Belagavi, Karnataka, for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl inside a mosque in Yaragatti town in October 2023. The accused has been identified as Tufelahmad Dadapeer Nagarchi. The incident came to light recently after an activist, Puneeth Kerehalli, posted a CCTV video footage from inside the mosque on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to Belagavi SP Bhimashankar Guled, police initiated action soon after Kerehalli exposed the incident on X. The police met with the girl's parents and discovered that they had not reported the incident. Police are using the video clip posted on X as evidence in the case. The accused was arrested from Mahalingpur town in Mudhol taluk.
Kerehalli's X post included the video and a message stating that the rape occurred on October 5, 2023, and that the victim's father was seeking justice but was allegedly prevented from filing a complaint by people in the mosque. Kerehalli urged immediate action to ensure justice for the girl.
SP Guled stated that the District Social Media Monitoring Cell brought the X post to his attention, which prompted the investigation. The Murugod Police traced the victim's family and registered a case. It was revealed that the family had refrained from filing a complaint earlier due to fear and social pressure. The police are in continuous contact with the child's father to ensure his cooperation and provide necessary support. The accused has been remanded to Hindalaga Central Jail. Authorities are urging the public to refrain from circulating the video further and to cooperate in ensuring justice for the victim.
In a separate incident in Belagavi in April 2024, police registered an FIR against a couple and five others for allegedly forcing a 28-year-old woman to convert to Islam after blackmailing her with her private photos. The accused, Rafik and his wife, allegedly engaged in sexual activities with the victim and then took intimate photos of her, which they used to blackmail her into converting to Islam. SP Guled stated that the couple forced the woman to perform namaz five times a day, wear a burqa, and not wear kumkum. The accused face charges under the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, relevant sections of the IT law, the SC/ST Act, and the Indian Penal Code, including those for rape, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.
In May 2025, Hathayogi Lokeshwar Swami, the head of Ram Mandir Math in Mekali village, Raibag taluk, was arrested in Belagavi for allegedly kidnapping and repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl. The girl's family had been advised that the swami could heal her illness and resolve her troubles through spiritual means. The girl stated that the swami abducted her and raped her multiple times in lodges in Raichur and Bagalkot. He then abandoned her at a bus stand, threatening to kill her if she spoke about the incident. A case was filed under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In June 2025, a six-year-old child was raped near a mosque in Chika Balapur. The accused, the father of a local Muslim cleric, was arrested, and a POCSO case was registered.
