The Andhra Pradesh police on 2 September, arrested a local pastor in Mylavaram in Krishna district, on charges of sexually harassing a 21-year-old girl, and assaulting her mother on 29 August.
The 45-year-old pastor, identified as M Samuel, who has a 20-year-old daughter himself, was allegedly harassing the 21-year-old to 'fulfill his lust', TNIE reported.
When the girl's mother shifted her to a relative's house after learning of the pastor's advances, the accused went to their home on 29 August and allegedly assaulted the mother for doing so.
Following this, the girl's mother filed a complaint and a case was registered against Samuel. He was produced in a local court and sent to judicial remand.
The pastor was booked under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Last month, horrifying stories of sexual abuse at the hands of 76-year-old Kodavatikanti Joseph tumbled out on 16 August, when the Andhra Pradesh Child Welfare Committee (CWC) visited an evangelical institute in Ongole.
The incident took place at a children's home and educational institute in Ongole, when the district’s CWC members were conducting regular checks.
When CWC members asked the students if they had any concerns that they could address, several girls started speaking up one after the other, about the sexual abuse they faced from the pastor on a regular basis. They also alleged that he frequently showed them pornographic videos against their wishes.
Ongole Two Town Inspector Suresh Kumar Reddy told the media that a case was registered under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC, along with Sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault), 12 (sexual harassment upon a child) and 14 (using a child for pornographic purposes) of the POCSO Act.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)