Priest arrested for misbehaving with girl in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 (IANS) A priest attached to the Syrian Orthodox Church in Pathanamthitta district was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a 17-year-old girl on Thursday, police said.The Women's Police Station officials took into custody 34-year-old Pondson John, the priest attached to the Orthodox Church at Koodal, from his residence.According to a police official, the arrest of the priest has been recorded and the remaining procedures are on.The arrest was based on a complaint of a school girl who confided to her friend about the incident. Her friend, in turn, informed the school authorities.Later, the school authorities informed the local Child Line officials who got in touch with the local police, who after a preliminary probe took the priest into custody.According to the complaint, the teenager was taken for counselling to the residence of the priest on March 12. Under the pretext of counselling, the priest misbehaved with the young girl.The next day, the priest reached the house of the girl and again he repeated the offence.The priest will be produced before a local court later in the day, said the police.
--IANS sg/shb/

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