Temple Priest Gets 15-Year Jail Term For Sexually Assaulting Boy

A court in New Delhi has sentenced a priest to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a boy in 2016, saying the gravity of the offence was exacerbated because the offender sexually exploited a 15-year-old working as a regular volunteer at the temple.

Additional Sessions Judge Harleen Singh was hearing the case against the man who was convicted last month for offences under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 377 (unnatural offences), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under POCSO sections 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and 10 (aggravated sexual assault).

Additional Public Prosecutor Ankit Agarwal sought maximum punishment for the convict, saying it was a heinous offence.

According to the facts of the case noted by the court, the boy used to voluntarily clean the temple in a residential area in Delhi where the priest sexually assaulted and forced him to touch his private parts.

The abuse continued for around two months, following which the boy approached the police and an FIR was registered, it noted.

In an order passed on Wednesday, the court said, "The convict was 43 years old at the time of the commission of the offence, whereas the victim boy was 15 years old. Further, the convict being a priest of the temple targeting and sexually exploiting the minor victim boy, who was a regular volunteer at the said temple, adds to the gravity of the offence." "Keeping in view all the mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the convict is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 15 years and to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 for the offence under Section 6 of the POCSO Act," the court added.

It also sentenced him to 10 years RI for the offence under IPC section 377, one-year simple imprisonment for the offence of criminal intimidation, and 5 years RI for committing the offence under Section 10 of the POCSO Act.

The sentences will run concurrently, the court said.

It observed that the courts must deal with sexual offences against children with "utmost sensitivity" as it was a "crime against society at large." According to the victim impact report, the convict also worked as a security guard and had four sons and as many daughters.

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