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GURUGRAM: A priest of a temple in Sector 43 has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 19-year-old girl on the pretext of performing a ‘pooja’ for her.

The 40-year-old allegedly convinced the woman that a misalignment of the stars in astrology had resulted in her facing difficulties in life and offered to perform a special pooja for her, during which he committed the crime.

The complainant told police that she had gone to the Hanuman temple in Sector 43 on Wednesday, where she met the priest, Rajasthan resident Ramakant Sharma. He asked her about her date, time and place of birth to check her ‘kundli’. “After checking my kundli, he stressed that according to astrology, my stars are not in their proper places, due to which I am facing problems. He offered to perform a special pooja,” she said in her complaint.

She agreed, and Sharma took her to a room inside the temple. He allegedly started to chant mantras and molested her at the same time. “I was stunned and couldn’t understand what was going on. I managed to escape after the pooja ended. He told me another pooja needed to be conducted and asked me not to reveal the matter to anyone,” she said.

The woman reached home disturbed, and the next day, approached women’s police station (east) in Sector 51. On the basis of her complaint, an FIR was registered against Sharma. “The priest was arrested from the temple on Friday and has admitted to the crime. He will be produced in court on Saturday,” police spokesperson Subhash Boken said.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

