Pastor sentenced to death for sexually assaulting four minor girls in Tirunelveli

TIRUNELVELI: The four girls — two aged 12, one aged 13 and one eight — who belonged to two related families, regularly attended the RC church at Mela Ilandaikulam in Manur taluk, Tirunelveli. The convict, Abraham, then 47 years old, sexually abused the four minors, after calling them to his church under the pretext of teaching them the Bible and hymns.

Abraham had set up a pentecostal church in the name of Rajaji Raj in Mela Ilandaikulam in 2020, said M Shanmughan, Additional Superintendent of Police, Crime Against Women and Children (CWC), Tirunelveli, who reopened the investigation into the case in January 2026.

He invited the girls to learn the Bible and songs at his church and sexually assaulted them, including penetrative assault, the officer said, adding the girls had not even attained puberty.

Since it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, the children did not attend school. “The pastor also threatened the girls with dire consequences if they informed their parents,” said Shanmugam.

It was only after two years that one of the girls told her parents. After the mother lodged a complaint at the Tirunelveli All-Women Police Station, the then inspector, Radha, registered a case against the pastor under the POCSO Act in July 2022 and arrested him. The police also provided counselling to the girls.

When the prosecution produced the four girls before the court on Thursday, they requested the Judge Suresh Kumar to award the maximum punishment to Abraham.

The court also ordered the government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to each of the four girls.