Dance teacher held for rape

A dance teacher was arrested under POCSO Act for  reportedly abducting and raping one of his minor students after promising to get her an opportunity to act in television serials, police said  on Sunday.  

According to a complaint lodged by the minor's parents, the dance teacher, Azad, had taken their 15-year-old daughter to Mumbai on December 23 after promising to get her an opportunity to act in television serials.

The police said when the family members of the girl were unable to contact her, they lodged a complaint against Azad.

Additional Superintendent of Police Pankaj Pandey said, "A case has been registered against the accused under the POCSO Act, for committing rape (section 376 of the IPC) and cheating (section 420 of the IPC)."

"The accused had carried out some illegal changes in his Aadhaar card. Charges have also been slapped against the accused under various other sections of the IPC, which include kidnapping (363), forgery of valuable security (467) and forgery for purpose of cheating (468)," he said.

"Charges have also been slapped under section 367 of the IPC (Kidnapping, abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage)," Pandey said.

The girl was reportedly in Delhi since December 23. She was found  on Saturday in Delhi, Circle Officer Omkar Singh said.

Meanwhile, a Hindu organisation claimed that this was a case of "love jihad".

"This seems to be a case of love jihad, and the district administration and police must act tough in this case," said Kapil Dewana, the regional convener of Hindu Jagran Manch