Miss Grand Malaysia 2021 Lishalliny Kanaran accuses Indian-origin priest of molesting her:"He put his hands inside my blouse"

Lishalliny, the 2021 Miss Grand Malaysia winner, wrote a detailed post of her terrifying ordeal on Instagram.

Indian-origin Malaysian model Lishalliny Kanaran has come forward with serious allegations against an Indian priest, accusing him of molesting her at the Mariamman Temple located in the Sepang district of Selangor, Malaysia.

Lishalliny, the 2021 Miss Grand Malaysia winner, wrote a detailed post of her terrifying ordeal on Instagram. She claimed that the priest improperly touched her by putting his hands inside her blouse while claiming to be bestowing blessings. She decided to share her story publicly in an attempt to raise awareness after becoming shocked and extremely disturbed by the incident. She also went on to file an official complaint.

The suspect, according to Sepang district police chief Norhizam Bahaman, is thought to be an Indian national who was filling in for the regular resident priest at the temple.

Authorities began a manhunt for the Hindu priest after the accusations were made public, the South China Morning Post reported.

The model wrote in her post that she was shocked and appalled when the priest asked her to remove the Punjabi suit she was wearing.

“There's a priest there who would usually guide me through the rituals, since I'm new to all this. I don't know much, and I've always appreciated his help. On that day, while I was praying, he approached me and told me he had some holy water and a protective string to tie for me; a blessing, he said," she recalled.

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A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran)

"He poured something, a very strong-smelling liquid, like rose or flower essence into the holy water. He said it was from India, and that they don’t usually give it to “ordinary people.” He kept splashing that water on my face, so much that my eyes stung and I couldn’t even open them," she continued.

Further recalling the horrifying incident, Lishalliny stated how the priest asked her to lift her clothes to "bless her". "Then he asked me to lift my Punjabi suit. I refused. He kept insisting it was “for my good,” but I told him I couldn’t because my blouse was tight. He got angry and scolded me asking what kind of person dresses tight like that."

"Without warning, he put his hands inside my blouse, into my bra, and started touching me inappropriately. He said it would be a “blessing” if I did “it” with him because he serves God," she further wrote.

She shared that although her mind recognized everything about the moment was wrong, she found herself unable to move or speak—completely frozen—and still struggles to understand why.

However, as if this was not all, when she and her mother went to the Temple authorities to complaints, the investigating officer threatened her who she claimed warned her against publicising the assault.

She stated, "When the chairman arrived, he claimed he didn’t know where the priest had gone. He even said he had only met him once. He added, “I’ve spoken to the DSP,” as if to assure us but I later realised it was to protect himself. As we were about to leave, the investigating officer warned me: “Don’t post anything online. If you do, it’ll be your fault. You’ll be blamed.”

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While concluding the post she then explained that she decided to speak out because others had tried to silence her, prioritizing the temple’s reputation over the well-being of those harmed within its walls.

"I’ve always been someone who speaks her heart and mind. But this time, I kept quiet. Because I was broken. Because I felt ashamed. But if I keep quiet, who else will speak up?" her post concluded.