After raids on Baba Virendra Dev Dixit Ashram, the Uttar Pradesh Police raided a madrasa in Lucknow on Friday and rescued about 51 girls who were allegedly being sexually exploited by the madrasa manager.

On a complaint lodged by girls held hostage at the madrasa and later by its owner Syed Mohd Jilani Ashraf, the police raided the Madrasa Khadiztul Kubra Lilbanat in Shaadatganj area and rescued 51 girls nabbing the manager Taiyyab Zia Ashrafi.

Residents of the area claimed that a few girls, who were held hostage at the madrasa, had somehow managed to throw letters from the windows of the madrasa sharing their horrible tales and seeking help from the people and the police to rescue them. “We had handed over those letters to the police which raided the premises and rescued girls studying at the madrasa hostel,” said Irfan,a resident of the area.

When the issue was brought to the knowledge of the madrasa owner Syed Mohd Jilani Ashraf, he also lodged a complaint with the Saadatganj Police against the madrasa manager Taiyyab Zia Ashrafi. The owner said that he had given the building to Ashrafi for running the madrasa. Later on, he turned it into a hostel giving admissions to girls only.

Rescued girls told the police and parents that they were molested and sexually exploited by the madrasa manager Taiyyab Zia Ashrafi. “He would ask us to massage him and dance to the tunes of vulgar numbers at nights. We were sexually assaulted and beaten when we refused to carry out his orders,” girls told the police and the parents.

The SSP Lucknow Deepak Kumar said that he had got complaints about girls being held hostage at the madrasa. “We acted on the complaints and raided the madrasa. About 51 girls were rescued and madrasa manager was arrested. ,” said the SSP.

The police have recorded statements of the victims and an FIR has been lodged against the madrasa manager. A total of 125 girls were registered as students at the madrasa. The police is contacting their parents to know their whereabouts. The rescued girls have been sent to the Nari Niketan.

A few days ago, the Uttar Pradesh police had raided two Ashrams of Baba Viredra Dev in Farrukhabad district and had recovered about 54 girls, including three from Nepal.