Representative image of a police officer.
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Police officials in Ajmer yesterday detained six minor students of a madrasa for allegedly killing the imam of the city's Mohammadi Masjid, identified as Maulana Mohammad Mahir (32), over his alleged subjection of a student to repetitive sexual abuse, The Times of India reported on Monday.
Officials told the publication that the students strangulated Mahir on April 27 and stuck to their story that three masked men were behind Mahir's murder, adding that they were threatened with consequences were they to come out with the truth.
Speaking with the publication, Ajmer SP Devendra Kumar Bishnoi noted that the case proved challenging as inspecting the CCTV footage proved futile. Ultimately, the cops gained the trust of the students, who then confessed to their crime, Bishnoi said.
He added that the students assaulted Mahir with a stick, later strangulating him to death with a rope. They were reportedly 'disturbed' by Mahir's alleged sexual abuse of one of the madrasa students, the publication reported.
“Two days before the murder, Mahir had returned from his village in UP. The students bought sleeping pills from a medical shop on April 26, but Mahir had dinner outside. When he returned, students gave him curd with pills. After some time, he went to sleep. Students went to the storeroom and brought a stick and rope. When he was sleeping, they hit his head with the stick. He tried to stand up, but they put the rope around his neck and strangulated him. He then went unconscious. They left the room after checking that his heartbeat had stopped,” said Bishnoi.
The report also identified one Tosif Ashraf from the mosque filing the police complaint in the case.