UP Priest Arrested for Sexually Assaulting 7-Year-Old Boy Near Temple in Deoria

Police officials have confirmed that following the arrest, the accused was promptly presented before a judicial court and subsequently remanded to jail custody.

In Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, authorities have apprehended a priest on charges of sodomizing a seven-year-old boy in a local village, according to police statements released Tuesday.

The suspect has been identified as Ramesh Chandra Puri, a 65-year-old man from Tali village located in the Guthni area of Bihar's Siwan district. Reports indicate that Puri had been serving as the temple priest for approximately twenty years.

According to police investigations, on Monday, the priest allegedly enticed the child, who had been playing near his residence, to an isolated location in proximity to the temple where he sexually assaulted the minor.

The incident came to light when the child's physical condition deteriorated, prompting the family to discover what had occurred and immediately report it to law enforcement authorities.

Following a formal complaint submitted by the victim's mother, police registered a case against Puri under applicable sections of the BNS and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

After taking the accused into custody, authorities presented him before the court, which ordered his incarceration, officials reported.

Banskat Station House Officer Vishal Kumar Upadhyay has confirmed that additional legal proceedings related to the case are currently in progress.