Befriending Her on Facebook, Kerala Priest under Arrest for Raping 15-year-old inside Temple

Mirror Now Digital
August 10, 2018

https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/crime/article/befriend-facebook-kerala-priest-dhanawanthari-temple-vaikkom-arrest-rape-15-year-old-class-10-student/267323

The accused, a priest at Dhanawanthari temple in Kerala's Vaikkom befriended the class 10 student on Facebook. He lured her to the temple where he raped her. A similar case was lodged against him a while back.

The priest has previously been accused in a similar case (Representative Image) |Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Chennai: Based on a complaint by the victim's parents, Kottayam police on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-old priest for abducting and raping a minor girl inside a temple in Vaikkom. A resident of Alacott Illam near Parassala, Krishna Prasad was serving as a priest at the Dhanawanthari temple in Vaikkom.According to police statements, Prasad befriended the 15-year-old girl on social networking website Facebook. He then lured the class 10 student into meeting him at his room inside the temple premises in Vaikkom. Reports suggest that once he took the minor, a resident of Ayarkunnam to his room located near the temple's auditorium, Prasad forced himself on her.

The matter came to light after parents of the girl reported her missing which led Ayarkunnam police to Prasad. The temple priest has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) corresponding to kidnapping, criminal intimidation and rape. He has also been slapped with sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act owing to the age of the victim in this case.

Surprisingly, Prasad is also the main accused in a similar case that is registered with the Ponkunnam police station. He was produced before a judicial magistrate court in Kottayam which remanded him in custody. Meanwhile, police officials continue to probe the matter further.Earlier this week, Lucknow police arrested an astrologer for the alleged sexual molestation of a 15-year-old girl. The accused, Arun Kumar Pandey was booked under section 151 of the CrPC along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act. Police took note of the case after a video of irate locals parading the accused in the Gosainganj area after tonsuring him on Tuesday went viral. Pandey has also been slapped with sections of the Atrocities against SC/STs since the minor victim hails from the Dalit community.