Kerala priest held for blackmail, rape attempt case

Bengaluru: Karnataka Kerala priest held for blackmail, rape attempt casePolice have arrested a priest from Kerala on charges of blackmailing a woman and attempting to rape her, officials said on Monday, adding that a hunt has been launched for another priest, who is absconding.

According to police, the arrested person has been identified as Arun, attached to the Peringottukara temple located in Kerala. Police are searching for Unni Damodaran, the temple’s main priest, in connection with the case.

The woman, whose family was experiencing financial difficulties, was advised by her friends to visit the temple at Peringottukara for solutions. Police stated that the victim, a resident of Bengaluru, had also seen a video about the temple and became convinced that performing a special worship there would end her crisis.

The accused was introduced to the victim when she went to the temple to perform the special worship. The accused priests gained her confidence through their interactions. They made WhatsApp video calls to her and behaved inappropriately.

Taking advantage of her vulnerable situation, the accused threatened the victim under the pretext of performing black magic and committed the crime. Later, they called her to the temple and this time demanded her cooperation. The victim stated in her complaint that the accused forced her to have unnatural sex.