A church vicar was arrested on Monday on charges of alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl.
The police identified the accused as Devarajan, 65, of Vellarada. He was the priest of a Church of South India (CSI) church at Kandamthitta, Pantha, near Amboori. His arrest was recorded by the Neyyar Dam police and he has been remanded in judicial custody.
Aryanad Inspector B. Anil Kumar said the alleged incident took place on Sunday evening after the priest purportedly called the victim to the church for a class. “Later, sensing something was amiss, the victim’s father came in search of her and found the accused sexually exploiting his daughter,” the official said. Later, the victim claimed that the accused had sexually abused her once earlier too. After the statement of the child was recorded by the Child Welfare Committee, the police took the priest into custody.
Meanwhile, the accused required medical attention after he was allegedly manhandled by one Gopan, who is believed to be a friend of the victim’s father. While the priest has been booked under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, another case has been registered against Gopan.
