Cleric arrested over 'rape' of 12-year-old

A madrasa cleric was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, police said. The accused, Shahid, was beaten up by people of the village in Sarurpur area after the alleged incident came to light, but somehow he escaped, an officer said.

Shahid was later arrested when he was waiting to board a bus on the Meerut-Karnal highway. A case has been registered against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the officer added.