Kathavachak (Hindu Priest) Arrested After Woman Alleges Molestation During Puja In Madhya Pradesh
Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh: A 42-year-old kathavachak, a Hindu religious preacher, has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 25-year-old married woman during a Puja at her home in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, Times of India reported.
The incident took place on April 25 when the accused man, identified as Pandit Ganesh Prasad Saral, was invited to the house by her mother-in-law to perform a religious ritual, the woman notes in her complaint.
The woman alleged that the preacher entered and molested her while she was doing household chorus. Following the woman’s complaint lodged on May 18, police conducted a preliminary investigation and registered a case against the accused Kathavachak under relevant sections of the BNS for molestation.
The officials arrested the accused on Friday, May 22, and produced him before the court. The court has sent Prasad Saral to jail after remanding him in judicial custody. A detailed investigation is being carried out, the police said, adding that the crime spot was the complainant’s own house.
The victim’s mother-in-law has also admitted to calling the accused to her house for a puja when the survivor alleged in the complaint that the accused had touched her inappropriately. Police arrested the preacher after a six-day religious discourse event held in Chhindwara concluded and devotees had dispersed from the venue. Police reached the venue late at night when only members of the organising committee and a few followers were present.
