• Source:JND
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In a chilling incident, forty minor girls were found confined inside a toilet of an unregistered madrassa in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich during an inspection, officials said on Thursday.

The girls, aged between nine and 14 years, were rescued from the site. Speaking about the incident, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Payagpur Ashwini Kumar Pandey told news agency PTI that they received repeated complaints regarding the functioning of an illegal madrassa inside a three-storey building in Pahalwara village under Payagpur tehsil after which a team went for inspection on Wednesday.

"On Wednesday, when we went to the building for an inspection, the madrassa operators initially tried to stop us from going upstairs. In the presence of police, we entered the premises and found the toilet on the terrace locked," he said.

He added that the door was opened by female police personnel behind which 40 girls were hiding and came out one by one. The girls looked frightened and were unable to say anything clearly, he added.

SDM Pandey said that District Minority Welfare Officer Mohammad Khalid has been asked to verify the registration and legality of the institution.

What did District Minority Welfare Officer say?

Citing locals, Khalid said that the madrassa had been running for around three years without registration. The management was not able to produce any document that could have justified their legality.

"The management and staff could not produce any document related to registration or legality. During the 2023 survey, 495 unregistered madrassas were identified in Bahraich and it appears this one escaped the survey team's notice then," he said.

While in some cases, such madrasas were sealed last year, there is no clear policy of the state government regarding such illegal minority religious institutions.

Khalid said that the managers of sealed madrasas obtained a stay from the High Court, adding, that a new regulatory framework is expected from the government soon.

'Girls panicked, locked themselves': Madrasa teacher 

A madrasa teacher named Takseem Fatima, however, said that the girls locked themselves inside as they panicked. Khalid said, "During questioning, we asked why the girls were hiding inside the toilet despite there being eight rooms in the madrassa, to which a teacher, Takseem Fatima, replied that the girls panicked in commotion and locked themselves inside".

The madrassa records were being examined, and orders have been issued to shut it down. "The management has been told to send the girls safely to their homes and it seems all have now reached back home," Khalid said.

Speaking about the illegal madrasa, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha said no FIR has been registered so far.

"The parents, SDM, or the minority welfare officer has not approached us for lodging a case so far. If any complaint is received, appropriate legal action will be taken," he said.  

(With PTI Inputs)