MADURAI: A temple priest who raped a 15-year-old girl under the pretext of conducting puja to cure her mother was sentenced to life imprisonment till death by a fast track court in Ramanathapuram.
The 57-year-old man of Mukkani near Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district, was the priest at Sudalai Madasamy temple.
His relative aged 37, who used to come to the temple regularly, told him that she was suffering from some ailments. The priest told her that a puja should be performed in Rameswaram with a virgin girl in attendance and it would cure her. She agreed to involve her 15-year-old daughter in the rituals.
He took the girl with him to Rameswaram alone after telling the mother that no one should accompany them. He raped her on November 15, 2019, at a lodge in Rameswaram. She managed to escape from him and go to the All Women police station at Rameswaram and file a complaint. Police filed a case and arrested Masanamuthu.
Judge A Subadra who delivered the judgement on Thursday, sentenced him to be imprisoned till death and imposed a fine of Rs 3,000.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
