Coimbatore pastor D John Jebaraj was arrested from Munnar in Kerala for sexually assaulting two minor girls at his residence a year ago.
He was produced in court on Sunday and has been remanded to judicial custody, according to a report by NDTV.
The 37-year-old was the pastor of King Generation Prayer Hall in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore and is known for his Christian concerts nationwide.
Jebaraj, who has a large social media following had been evading arrest for months. The Central All Women Police Station of Coimbatore tracked him down to Munnar and took him into custody. Earlier, the Coimbatore City Police had formed multiple teams to locate him. A lookout notice had also been issued to stop Jebaraj from fleeing the country.
Jebaraj has been charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
The TOI report, citing sources, said John Jebaraj misbehaved with two girls, aged 17 and 14, at a party he threw at his GN Mills residence on 21 May 2024. One of the victims recently confided in a relative about the incident. A complaint was subsequently filed at the Central All Women Police Station.
However, according to the TOI report, the pastor had not indulged in a penetrative sexual assault against the two minor girls.
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