UP: Priest held for sexually assaulting minor boy in Deoria

Deoria (UP), Dec 16 (PTI) A priest has been arrested for allegedly sodomising a seven-year-old boy in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria here, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Ramesh Chandra Puri (65), a resident of Tali village in Guthni area of Siwan district in Bihar, had been serving as a priest in a local temple for about two decades.

On Monday, the priest allegedly lured the child, who was playing near his house, to a secluded spot close to the temple and sexually assaulted him, the police said.

When the boy’s condition deteriorated, his family came to know about the incident and informed the police.

Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, a case was registered against Puri under relevant sections of the BNS and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

After being arrested, the accused was produced before a court and sent to jail, they said.

Banskat Station House Officer Vishal Kumar Upadhyay said further legal proceedings were underway. PTI COR ABN NB