2 Minnesota moms charged in Michigan genital mutilation case

DETROIT – Two Minnesota mothers have been charged in an investigation of genital mutilation in a Muslim sect, months after bringing their daughters to a Detroit-area clinic.

A new indictment was unsealed Thursday in Detroit federal court, raising the number of defendants to eight. The eight include Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who is accused of performing the procedure.

The Associated Press isn’t naming the Minnesota moms to protect their daughters’ identities. The moms are charged with conspiracy and genital mutilation.

Nagarwala denies any crime and says she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the Dawoodi Bohra. She’s been in jail without bail since her arrest in April.

The indictment says Nagarwala performed genital mutilation on six girls, but prosecutors say the number could be much higher.