Ajmer: 7-year-old Girl Tricked Into Temple by Priest, Raped; Accused Arrested

The 48-year-old priest allegedly tricked her into the temple and then, raped the minor. Following the crime, he left her unconscious in a room.

Ajmer, Apr 28: Days after the horrific Kathua rape and murder case came to light, another 7-year-old girl has allegedly been raped by the priest of a temple, located on the Kalyanipura Hills on the outskirts of Ajmer, in Rajasthan. The accused has been identified as Swami Shivanand alias Balwant.

The minor girl, on Wednesday, was near the Kalichat Hanuman Temple to gather the livestock which was grazing around. The 48-year-old priest allegedly tricked her into the temple and then, raped the minor. Following the crime, he left her unconscious in a room. (Rape Cases in India: A Timeline Till it Stops)

The heinous crime came to light when the girl’s father came looking for her and found her lying unconscious inside the empty room. The minor narrated the ordeal to her father after regaining consciousness after which the parents of the girl lodged a complaint with the police.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under the provisions of Protection of children from sexual offence (POCSO) Act and arrested the priest. The girl has been moved to a hospital for treatment and medical examination.

As per the locals, quoted by a media report, Shivanand belongs to Madhya Pradesh and has been serving as the priest of Kalichat Temple for last 10 years. They even alleged him of being a controversial figure.

Kathua Rape Case

An eight-year-old Bakerwal girl was found dead in the forests in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on January 17. She was abducted on January 10 and continuously raped and drugged. The horrific case has triggered an outrage across the nation.