'Likely rejected the priest's advances': Woman devotee found dead in private temple in TN's Salem, priest arrested

On October 15, Selvi left home saying that she was going to visit a friend at Elampillai in Salem district. But she went missing and her mobile phone too could not be reached.

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SALEM: A 42-year-old private temple priest was arrested on Saturday for allegedly murdering a woman devotee in Salem.

Police said they suspect that the victim, Selvi, likely rejected the priest’s advances to have a physical relationship with him. Fearing that she may disclose his misdemeanor to others, the accused may have spiked her soft drink and killed her, police said.

The accused was identified as V Kumar of Perumampatti near Sivathapuram in Salem. He built the Periyandichi Amman Temple on his farmland 20 years ago and was also working as the priest of the temple.

According to police, Selvi (28) and her husband, V Pasuvaraj, have been married for the past nine years. But the couple did not have a child. So, Selvi used to visit various temples to pray for a child. On October 15, Selvi left home saying that she was going to visit a friend at Elampillai in Salem district. But she went missing and her mobile phone too could not be reached.

Following this, Pasuvaraj, who works in Bangalore, filed a complaint at the Tharamangalam police station on Thursday. Based on the complaint, the police initiated a search and recovered Selvi’s body from a bush near the temple owned by Kumar. During investigation, it was revealed that Selvi had been going to the temple for more than a week to pray. Police arrested Kumar on Saturday under IPC section 302.