Priest gets one-year jail for sex with estranged wife

Additional Sessions Judge Poonam Suneja also imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 on the mahant (priest) of an Ambala dera.

After sentencing, the judge, however, granted the priest bail to enable him to challenge his conviction in a higher court.

The wife of the mahant has been living in a separate room in the dera complex as she did not have good terms with him. She had also moved a court seeking maintenance from the mahant. Her plea for maintenance is pending with the court.

Prosecution said on May 10 last year the woman had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the mahant had entered her room around midnight and had raped her.

 

She had also alleged that the mahant had thrashed her and her three-year-old son.

When she protested, he threw her out of the dera complex and threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter, the woman alleged in the complaint.

Police had registered a case against the mahant under Section 376 A (intercourse by a man with his wife during separation), 323 (voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) IPC. Later, he was arrested by the police.

The counsel of the accused pleaded that his client was falsely implicated in the case.