Preacher among 2 held for abducting minor girl

Two people, including a Madrasa teacher, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Sunday.

The girl, who was pursuing Arabic studies in the Madrasa, was rescued and handed over to her family after completion of legal formalities, a police spokesperson said.

The main accused Bilal Ahmad of Doda’s Bathari village, who was the ‘moulvi’ (prayer leader) at the religious school, was arrested during the rescue operation in Ramban’s Ramsoo area, the official said.

Ahmad’s neighbour Riaz Ahmad was also arrested from Doda’s Gandoh village, the spokesperson said.

The police swung into action after the father of the girl lodged a complaint at the Rakh Amb Talli police post, stating that his daughter had been kidnapped by Ahmad five months ago, the spokesperson said.

Police registered a case under relevant sections of law and started investigation and ultimately recovered the girl and arrested the accused, the spokesperson said.