Chg: Disabled woman alleges rape on temple campus; priest held

A 24-year-old disabled woman was allegedly raped by a priest on the campus of a temple in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, police said today.

The accused, identified as Ramashankar Vaishnav (28), was arrested today in connection with the alleged incident which occurred on April 24, they said.

According to district police officials, the incident occurred when the woman, who has a limp in one of her legs, was returning her home in Dhamtari on Tuesday evening after attending a computer class.

The woman alleged in her complaint that Vaishnav told her that her mother was working inside the temple. When she went inside the temple, the priest, who stays on the premises of the place, took her to his room and closed the door after her, police said.

The woman said she fainted due to fear when Vaishnav took her inside his room.

"When she regained consciousness, Vaishnav told her that he had raped her and he would kill her if she discloses the incident to anyone," a district police official said.

After the woman told her parents about the incident, they took her to the police station and lodged the complaint.

A case under IPC section 376 (punishment for rape) has been registered and further probe is on, police said.