BAREILLY: Police here have filed a case under various sections of the IPC against three Christian priests after a local woman alleged in a police complaint on Monday that they had tried to rape her.

In her complaint, the woman said the priests attempted to rape her as they were angry with her stand on a property related dispute. She alleged that the three attempted to rape her after she was called at a house to discuss a compromise formula.

The woman, 30, a resident of the Civil Lines locality, had a land dispute with the priests, accusing them of fraudulently selling church property to a businessman in the Rampur Garden area. This, she claimed, was opposed by her as well as some other local residents living in the church compound.

The three priests, she told the police, called her on April 23 to work out a compromise formula, but talks broke down midway into the conversation and the priests, angry at her, tore her clothes and tried to outrage her modesty.

Police, hesitant at first, registered the case after the matter was raised by some organizations. They have now charged the priests under Section 376 (attempt to rape), 511, 504 and 323 of the IPC.

Talking about the case, SP city Rajeev Malhotra said, "The woman had a dispute with the church over construction of a boundary wall and the priests had perhaps called her to a house to settle the issue. But going by the accounts of the woman, things took a different turn leading to this incident. We are investigating the matter and if the involvement of priests is found they would be certainly sent behind bars."

