Theni: A case of sexual harassment at a temple in Tamil Nadu’s Theni has come to light. A 70-year-old priest has been arrested under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act for sexually harassing several young girls.
The accused, named Thilakar, works as a priest at the Bagavathi Amman Temple in Vadakarai near Periyakulam in the Theni district.
According to sources, the priest would lure young girls who were playing in front of the temple by offering them sweets and then allegedly harassing them inside the temple.
This crime was exposed when one child managed to escape from the temple and narrated the incident to her parents. The entire village rushed to the temple to confront the priest, who, fearing for his safety, locked himself inside.
Upon receiving the information, Vadakarai police quickly arrived at the scene, registered a case, and arrested the priest under the POCSO Act.
In relative news from Pune, a 16-year-old girl from a city-based college in Pune has accused four men of raping her on multiple occasions between April and September. Out of the four accused, two aged between 20 and 22 were arrested while two minors were detained.
According to DCP Zone 2, Smarthna Patil, the victim met all four suspects separately on social media platforms. "They allegedly had sexual relations with the girl at different places," said Patil.
The incident came to light during a session on sexual offences against children. A fellow student noticed the victim seemed distressed and, after gaining her trust, revealed the abuse to the counsellors.