Temple priest arrested for child abuse

MAPUSA: A temple priest, resident of Ramnagar in Betim, and native of Sirsi in Karnataka, was arrested by Anjuna police on Monday evening for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl.
Police said the accused, Nagraj Bhat, who is a priest at a temple in Betim allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl.
The accused on Monday took the girl on his motorcycle on the pretence of going to a shop to buy milk.The accused took the girl to a secluded place on the Assagao plateau and forcibly held her.
The minor girl cried for help and managed to escape from his clutches and ran away. The accused chased the girl but was noticed by a taxi driver in the area who raised an alarm.
The locals rushed to the rescue of the girl and caught hold of the accused and beat him up. Anjuna police were informed of the incident. Nagraj was arrested and charged under Section 354 of IPC and Section 8 of the Children’s Act and Section 12 of the POSCO Act. Police have also recorded the statement of the girl in the presence of an NGO.