62-year-old priest held for minor’s sexual assault in Chikkaballapura district

BENGALURU: A 62-year-old priest has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl after he lured her with chocolates.
The accused is Venkataramanappa, a priest in a temple near Bagepalli, Chikkaballapura district. He had come to attend his grand-daughter’s naming ceremony in Yelahanka on Monday and later went to Devanahalli to stay in the house of his son-in-law, who is also a priest at a temple.
Police said Venkataramanappa saw the girl playing near the temple and took her to a shed nearby.Meanwhile, the girl’s parents panicked on not finding her and started searching for her frantically. They were told by a flower seller that she was last spotted walking towards the shed along with the priest.
On reaching the shed, the parents found her crying and the girl recounted what had happened. Police were informed and the girl was taken to hospital.
Devanahalli police arrested Venkataramanappa and produced him before court, which remanded him in judicial custody.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)