Woman from Maharashtra accuses former Badrinath temple priest of molestation

A woman from Maharashtra has accused a former priest of Badrinath temple and the CEO of Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee of molestation.

Chamoli Superintendent of Police (SP) Tripti Bhatt told PTI that the woman, a sadhvi from Mumbai, alleged that priest Vishnu Prasad Namboodiri and CEO B D Singh made undue advances towards her when she had visited Badrinath to pay obeisance at the famed temple in June.

A case has been registered against the duo under relevant sections of the IPC and investigations are on, the SP has said.

The sadhvi accused the duo of threatening her and trying to usurp her property in Mumbai and alleged their involvement in the mysterious disappearance of five members of her family over the past few years, the police officer said.

A team is being sent to Mumbai to probe charges about the duo trying to usurp the sadhvi's property there, the SP added.

Such allegations have been levelled against a Badrinath priest in the past also.

Former head priest of Badrinath Keshav Prasad Namboodiri was arrested in February, 2014 after he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a Delhi hotel in an inebriated state.