By Express News Service

TIRUPATI: A 12-year old girl was raped by a 51-year old pastor in Kuravakaluva village of Renigunta mandal in Chittoor district on Monday night. The incident came to light on Tuesday morning, when the village women had lodged a complaint with police.According to women in the village, on Monday night around 8 p.m. Panneer Selvam, the pastor of small church in the village has taken the girl, who hails from a very poor family in the village to an open place near the church and violated her modesty.

A woman in the village, not wishing to be identified, saw the incident and immediately alerted her fellow women in the village. They rushed to the spot and overpowered the middle aged pastor. They tied him to a wooden post in the village and thrashed him.

Later in the night, higher-ups of the church in Renigunta took away Panneerselvam from the village. On Tuesday morning, as the parents of the girl were afraid to go the police, some women took initiative and lodged a complaint with Gajulamandyam Police Station. When contacted, police officials said case has been registered and investigation is under progress.