Church priest arrested in UP for raping minor Dalit girl

Baghpat, April 24 (IANS) A church priest was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping an 11-year-old Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district.The arrest came two days after the incident following which the victim's mother lodged an FIR.The accused has been identified as Albert, a 67-year-old resident of Kanyakumari.The victim's mother said in her complaint that she had taken her daughter on April 21 to school located in the church premises.The victim reached home, bleeding profusely and with injury marks on her private parts.She later narrated her ordeal to the mother and said that the priest had threatened to kill her if she informed anyone about the incident.Superintendent of Police (SP) Neeraj Kumar Jadoun said that the FIR was registered under sections of rape, POCSO, SC-ST Act. The SP said that the DNA sample of the victim and the accused priest was taken for medical examination at the district hospital. Both the samples will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for testing. A forensic team will also visit the church.He said that in view of the resentment among local people, police have been deployed around the church.
--IANS amita/ksk/

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