Recently, several POCSO cases were registered in Kerala. Those accused are madrassa teachers, and the victims are their students. On 6 Oct, Janmabhumi reported that a Madrasa teacher was arrested for molesting a minor boy in Kerala. Police apprehended NA Muhammad Shahad from Kasaragod. Shahad sexually assaulted the boy who had come to collect Zakat (charity) during the last fasting period.

The complaint says the accused molested the boy on 8 Apr in his room in Padanna and on 9 Apr in the Kasaragod railway station area. After recording the child’s statement in the complaint, the accused was arrested, and a case was registered under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

Meanwhile, two days ago, another madrasa maulvi was arrested for sexually molesting minor boys in Valanchery, Malappuram. Habeeb, a native of Madirassery village near Kuttipuram, was arrested by the police. The victims’ parents complained that they were being forced to amend their statement by several local leaders and mosque committee members shortly after Habeeb’s detention became public.

In response to a complaint alleging that numerous children had been sexually molested, the Valanchery police launched an investigation. Habeeb has been accused of molesting children since 2022. There are accusations that the madrassa teacher touched several minor children inappropriately.

Earlier, several children had come forward accusing Habeeb of the harassment. It is alleged that several people withdrew their complaints under coercion. An activist named Arif stated that he received threats for seeking to provide legal aid to the victims.

The police recorded five madrasa students’ statements against the accused. After a medical check, the accused was produced in court and remanded.

Another Madrassa teacher was detained in Palakkad as part of a POCSO investigation. Mohammad Fazal (23), a resident of Vavanur, preyed on young children in the Kunnumpara region and was detained.

Fazal has already been investigated twice in connection with POCSO cases. This time, he is accused of the sexual assault of a 14-year-old child who was attending a religious school in Karukaputhur. Are radical Islamists supporting such offenders and endangering young lives?

On 4 Oct, Asianet notified that a man who molested a minor Dalit girl he met through Instagram was arrested in Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram. Muhammad Minshad, a native of Kalikavu, Malappuram, was arrested. Police also arrested Adarsh, a native of Mylapore, Kollam, who gave the accused his motorcycle.

After the girl went missing the last day, her parents filed a complaint with the Attingal police. During the investigation, the police discovered that the girl was at Kottiyam, around 30km from Attingal. Attingal police went there and rescued the victim.

Minshad and Adarsh are employees of the godown of a prominent home appliances company in Kollam. Kerala media never mentions if an Abrahamic is a Dalit or not. Was the girl a Hindu and a victim of Islamist grooming jihad? Are large business firms encouraging and sponsoring the so-called ‘love’ jihad?

Minshad, who met the girl through social media, reached Attingal on his friend Adarsh’s motorcycle and took the girl to his residence in Kottiyam. Minshad and Adarsh lived in an apartment allotted to them by their company. The victim stated to the police that she was sexually assaulted in the flat.

After detailed interrogation, the accused were arrested. Scientific evidence was also collected in the case. The accused were produced before the Attingal court and remanded.