Reverend John Marks (63), a Presbyter in the CSI Church at Ondipudur here, has been arrested by the Singanallur Police on Saturday on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman and intimidating her.
According to police officials, the vicar was arrested after a 48-year-old woman, a teacher, filed a complaint that he had misbehaved with her when she went to offer prayers at the church. Several other women have supported the victim’s statement and have become witnesses in the case.
The police have registered the case under Sections 506 (i) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Presbyter was said to have come to this church about eight months ago. Police officials are investigating whether there were prior complaints against this person in his previous place of work.
Police officials said that no such complaints had been made against anybody in this church earlier. The accused has been remanded to 15 days in judicial custody and lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.
