Bengaluru widow allegedly raped, blackmailed by temple staff; chief priest accused of aiding assault

The accused, identified as Arun T A, hails from Thrissur and worked as an assistant to a temple priest.

A 40-year-old man from Kerala has been arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing a 38-year-old woman using her nude photos and videos, the police said on Monday. The accused, identified as Arun T A, hails from Thrissur and worked as an assistant to a temple priest, news agency PTI reported.

The woman, who is from Bengaluru, informed the police officials that she had approached the temple seeking spiritual help. She visited the temple in March with three friends after reading about it online. Arun and the chief priest allegedly convinced her that she was under a ‘curse’ and promised that certain rituals could help improve her life.

The woman, who has been raising her two sons alone since her husband’s death in 2016, was going through financial and personal difficulties. She agreed to the rituals and initially paid Rs 24,000. When she said she failed to pay more, Arun told her he would take care of the remaining costs himself, TOI reported.

However, Arun allegedly started calling her repeatedly, making inappropriate comments and sending her romantic messages. In her police complaint, she said he often told her that she must obey him and insisted that she inform him before visiting the temple, so he could book a room for her.

According to the police, Arun once asked her to undress during a video call, threatening that the curse would never leave her otherwise. When she refused, he allegedly warned her that he had her nude video and would harm her sons by using black magic.

On May 10, when the woman visited the temple again, Arun allegedly took her to a room and raped her while the chief priest, identified as Damodaran, stood guard outside. Later, on May 21, he allegedly picked her up in a car, drove to a remote forest area, locked the doors, and raped her again.

The woman, shaken and frightened, shared her ordeal with her family. On their advice, she approached the Bellandur police on May 29 and filed a complaint. Based on her statement, Arun was arrested on June 13. The police are now trying to track down the chief priest, who has also been accused of attempting to assault her.