8-year-old gang raped in UP, cleric and victim's mother arrested: Police

Lucknow: Police have arrested a cleric and are on the lookout for his brother in connection with a gang-rape case of an eight-year-old girl here, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vishwajeet Srivastava said a man got a complaint filed at the Malihabad police station a few days ago, alleging that his eight-year-old daughter was raped by two men who teach in a madrasa.

The two accused were identified as Mohammed Abedin and his brother, Mohammad Arshad, the officials said.

Based on the complaint, police lodged an FIR under section 376D (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused.

The DCP said police arrested Abedin and the victim's mother on Wednesday under section 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

"Our teams are trying to arrest Arshad, who is absconding," the officer said.

The father of the victim works in a Gulf country and left India eight months ago, the officials said.

Srivastava said after the victim's father left the country, her mother got into a relationship with Abedin. The woman was aware that the two accused had raped her daughter, he added.

The victim's father came to know about his daughter's ordeal after he returned home and immediately approached the police, the officials said.