Priest held for raping and abetting suicide of woman devotee

CHENNAI: The CB-CID sleuths arrested a priest of temple in Tiruvallur for allegedly raping a woman devotee repeatedly in temple premises.

The arrested priest was identified as Munusamy.

It all started with the victim, a resident of Pennalurpet, committing suicide by consuming poison in the middle of February. She was staying at a temple at Vellathukottai on February 13 night for some puja and attempted to commit suicide on the morning of 14 February by consuming poison.

She died in Thiruvallur GH on February 16.

The case was taken over by CB-CID as per the order from head of the police force of TN a week later.

CB-CID investigation revealed that the temple's priest Munusamy has told some lies that deceased had 'Nagadosha' and made her to reach the temple often and raped her thereby abetting her to commit suicide.

The case was initially registered under CrPC 176 but later altered by adding additional IPC sections including for rape (IPC 376) cheating (IPC 417) and abetment of suicide (IPC 306) along with provisions of TN prohibition of Woman harassment act 2002.

The accused priest Munusamy was arrested by the team on Saturday and remanded in judicial custody and lodged at Central Prison.