Kendrapara: Derabish Police arrested a 32-year-old priest who prepares ‘Prasad’ at the Dadhibabanjew temple here for allegedly molesting a 40-year-old married woman who was given shelter on the temple premises Thursday night, IIC Sudhir Ranjan Sahu said.
The priest, Raghunatha Panda alias Kalia Nana, a resident of Dumuka Haat, who was deserted by his wife, allowed the woman, who had left her in-laws’ house in Golarhaat in a fit of anger after a quarrel with her husband, to stay for the night on the temple premises.
Late in the night, the accused knocked on the room’s door where the woman was staying. When the woman opened the door he molested her, police said.
The woman lodged an FIR at Derabish police station. Police registered a case and arrested the priest Saturday after probing the matter. Both the accused and the complainant were sent for medical examination.
The accused was produced in the Kendrapara SDJM court under Section 341 and 354 (A) of IPC and was remanded to custody.
The victim was also produced in the court to record her statement before the SDJM under Section 164 of CrPC, said IIC Sahu.
