Mumbai: Two maulanas held for burning kids' bottoms in Nalasopara

Maulana Mohammed Jahangir, the trustee, who is also absconding. Pic/ Hanif Patel

Two maulanas (religious scholars) from Nalasopara East were on Wednesday booked for inflicting severe corporal punishment on the children studying at a local madrasa. The students, aged between six and 11, and mostly hailing from Bihar and UP, were hit with sticks and burnt with hot spoons on their legs and buttocks for not memorising lessons.

The students, pursuing a course to become 'hafiz' (one who has memorised the Quran), were hit with a stick followed by a burning ladle (spoon) on their buttocks, causing severe blisters.

People of the locality surrounded the madrasa when they learnt of the abuse

The matter came to light after one of the victims called his parents and narrated the ordeal. The parents immediately contacted a local NGO whose officials visited the Madarsa Jamiya Basharatul-Uloom run by Maulana Mohammed Jahangir (trustee) and Maulana Hafiz Dilbar Hussain. The officials met other minor students who underwent the inhuman punishment. They also complained of the malaunas "forcing them to go out and collect donations almost every day".

Alerted by the developments, some locals to visited the madrasa and began thrashing the maulanas badly but the duo managed to escape before the police arrived. The statements of all 12 students are being recorded by the police for registering 12 FIRs in the matter.

"I was beaten up because I couldn't remember the lesson that the maulana gave me to be recited the next day. He first beat me with a stick on my buttocks and legs and later burnt my bottom with a hot spoon. He did the same thing to my classmates, too," one of the students told mid-day.

Another student said that the beating up was a daily routine of the maulana. Locals who intervened have sent the kids to another madrasa in Ansari Nagar, which is now taking care of the kids.

Under the garb of education
During investigation, it was revealed that the madrasa in question was run in a small 100 sq ft house, where the 12 children lived with two maulanas. Belonging to poor households, the children were brought to Mumbai from Bihar and other neighbouring states by the maulanas to "educate them" but were forced to collect donations every Friday, the police said.

Some of the boys who were assaulted by Maulana Hafiz Dilbar Hussain

According to the police, the intention was to utilise the kids to collect money. "People from the community must come forward and stop these things," said a police officer from Tulinj police station.

Following the kids' medical tests, a complaint has been registered against both accused under sections of the IPC and of the Juvenile Justice Act, said senior inspector DS Patil from Tulinj police station.

12
No. of kids who received such punishment

100sq ft
Size of the house where the madrasa was run

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