KALPETTA: The police on Tuesday arrested the priest against whom the parents of two boys had lodged a complaint of sexual abuse with Meenangadi police station here. Senior police officers said the accused priest, Fr Saji alias Joseph, 40, of Kottiyoor in Kannur, was nabbed by a special team from Mangaluru where he had gone into hiding after the parents of the children lodged the complaint.
He was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. The incident came to light on July 14 when the parents of the two boys approached Childline after their wards aged 15 and 14 revealed to them about the sexual abuse incident.
The complaint alleged the priest had sexually abused the children while they were at a Bala Bhavan for summer course. The priest, who was working at the institution that time, has been charged with cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), IPC 337 and Juvenile Justice Act.