CHENNAI: Two weeks after he was booked on sexual harassment charges on a complaint by his estranged live-in partner- a TV anchor, Chennai Police have arrested the priest of Kalikambal temple, Karthik Munusamy, who was on the run.
Virugambakkam AWPS (All women police station) had booked Karthik under several sections of IPC including 312 (voluntarily causing a woman with a child to miscarry) and had launched a search for him. A look out circular too was issued to prevent him from escaping India.
The woman had alleged that he attempted to push his live-in partner into prostitution and assaulted her when she refused.
As per the victim's complaint, she was an engineering graduate who had come to the city in 2021 for employment and was working for a private television channel. Both her parents were dead and she was living alone.
The priest had given her preferential treatment and offered to drop her home one day. On reaching home, he allegedly spiked her drink and raped her. When the woman questioned him, he reassured her that he liked her and would marry her. He further told her that he was separated from his wife and that both their fortunes would be good if they were together, according to her complaint.
He further told her that he was separated from his wife and that both their fortunes would be good if they were together. He reportedly apologised, tied a 'thali' (chain worn by married women) around her neck, and they started living together.
In the following days, the complainant and the priest started living together. In February 2023, he forced her to undergo an abortion at a private hospital in Vadapalani, according to the First Information Report.
Subsequently, Karthik allegedly brought a man home claiming to be a VIP and left after a while, asking her to give him company, the complaint stated. The VIP had allegedly tried to misbehave with her, after which she cried and called Karthik who consoled her.
After the incident, he started assaulting her, often stating that she was a hindrance to his fortunes as she did not cooperate with the VIP and continued the harassment.
The arrest comes a day after a petition was moved before the Madras High court seeking CB-CID probe into the issue citing lackadaisical approach by the city police.