Thiruvananthapuram: Cops yet to register case against imam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Almost a week after an imam here was allegedly caught for sexually harassing a 15-year-old girl, police are yet to register a case in this regard, inviting criticism from various corners. The incident happened at Tholicode near Nedumangad under rural district police limits. Shafeek Qasimi, imam of Tholicode Muslim Jama-at and member of state committee of imams’ council, is the one who is facing the allegations.He was caught by women engaged in works under rural employment guarantee scheme when he brought the girl to a deserted location near the forest here in his car.
Centre for Film Gender and Culture Studies, a organization for social justice, has filed a petition before the chief minister and state police chief raising doubts over the delay in police action against the imam.
However, the rural SP P Ashok said that they acted swiftly but could not register a case because the girl involved was reluctant to give her statement against the imam. “We have already taken steps to inform the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to shift the girl to a shelter home and provide her counselling,” the SP said.
“The CWC conducted a hearing and ordered the girl be shifted to the shelter home on Friday. We could take the girl to the shelter home on Saturday despite resistance from her relatives,” said Ratheeh S K, district child protection officer, Childline.