A cleric, who was appointed Muajjin at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and used to offer Namaz in a mosque on University campus, was arrested on charges of molesting a 9-year-old girl on Wednesday. Accused Mohammad Ahmed, who used to teach the holy Quran and Urdu to the victim at her residence, molested her and allegedly threatened with dire consequences if she revealed it to anyone.

When the mother of the victim learned about the incident, she approached police authorities during a 'tehsil diwas ' and lodged a complaint against the cleric in Aligarh on Tuesday. According to SSP Aligarh, Akash Kulhari, Mohmmad Ahmed, a cleric at a mosque inside Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) premises was arrested for molesting a 9-year-old girl.

The SSP confirmed that a woman had lodged a complaint that her daughter was sexually harassed by the cleric. "The accused has been arrested and sent to jail,-" said the SSP. The police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and under Clause 3/4 of the POCSO Act. Meanwhile, the sources claimed that the cleric allegedly admitted to his crime and allegedly confirmed that he molested the girl four-five times.

Ahmed gives the call for Azaan from the mosque on AMU campus and also offers Namaaz in the absence of Imam. On the other, the AMU officials said that the cleric was removed from his post after the incident. They also said that he was appointed on a temporary basis while the Imam of the mosque was on leave. The cleric used to go outside the campus for tuition where the crime took place, they said. Last month, an incident of rape of a 16-year-old girl by a Maulvi in a Madarsa had also come to light in Kanpur. The victim was a student at the Madarsa where the accused Maulvi used to teach.