Temple priest attempts to push live-in partner into prostitution; booked

CHENNAI: City Police have booked a temple priest on charges of sexual harassment among other charges after he allegedly attempted to push his live-in partner into prostitution and assaulted her when she refused.

The complainant, an engineering graduate had come to the city in 2021 in search of employment and was working in a private television channel. Both her parents had died and she was living alone.

Around that time, she had visited a temple in Parry's Corner when she got acquainted with the priest, Karthik Munusamy.

The priest had given her preferential treatment and slowly got acquainted with her and offered to drop her home one day. On reaching home, he allegedly spiked her drink and raped her and when the woman questioned him, he consoled her saying that he liked her and would marry her. He further told her that he is separated from his wife and that both their fortunes would be good if they were together, according to her complaint.

In a few days, the complainant and the priest started living together and during the course, when she got pregnant, he took her to a private hospital in Vadapalani where he forced her to undergo an abortion in February last year.

Subsequently, he brought a man home claiming to be a VIP and left after a while asking her to give him company, the complaint stated. The 'VIP' had allegedly tried to misbehave with her after which she cried and called the priest who consoled her.

After the incident, he started assaulting her often stating that she was a hindrance to his fortunes as she did not cooperate with the 'VIP' and continued the harassment.

Based on a complaint by the woman, Virugambakkam AWPS (All Women Police Station) have registered a case under sections including section 312 (voluntarily causing a woman with child to miscarry) and are investigating.