Mutt priest, his associate held for raping minor girl in Maharashtra

A 75-year-old priest and his associate auuasulted the minor girl on multiple occasions following which she became pregnant. A woman relative of the 17-year-old victim was also arrested

Mumbai: Police have arrested a 75-year-old priest of a mutt in Maharashtra’s Amravati district and his associate for allegedly raping a minor girl on multiple occasions following which she became pregnant, an official said on Thursday. A woman relative of the 17-year-old victim has also been arrested, he said.

The girl along with her parents approached Shirkhed police station in Amravati on Tuesday evening and lodged a complaint against the head priest of the Riddhapur mutt and others, he said. During medical examination, it came to light that the girl was eight months’ pregnant, the official said.

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According to the complainant, she was staying at the mutt for doing a service to it for the last one year with her uncle and aunt. While she was staying at the mutt, the head priest asked the girl’s aunt to send the victim to meet him on April 2, 2024.

The aunt sent the girl in a room of the priest, Surendramuni Talegaonkar, where he allegedly raped her, the official said. Balasaheb Desai (40), who too stays in the mutt, also allegedly raped the girl, he said, adding that both the accused committed the offence for several months.

The victim initially informed about her ordeal to her aunt, but she threatened her and asked her to remain quiet. The aunt did not help the girl, due to which both the men kept sexually assaulting the victim, the police said.

A case has been registered against the three accused under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation), as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said. A probe was on into the case, the police added.