Priest held on molestation charges

    
ROURKELA (Orissa): A priest has been arrested for allegedly outraging the modesty of some tribal girls at Tumkela area near here, police said.
    
According to the complaint lodged by three tribal girls, the 40-year old man Harihar Padhy molested them on October 7 and 8 when they had visited a temple during Durga puja.
    
The priest allegedly called the girls to his room, adjacent to the temple and made indecent advances towards them, police said on Tuesday.
    
The girls further alleged the priest had shown them some pronographic pictures and asked to strip to seek god's blessing.
    
However, the girls managed to escaped and thouugh initially kept mum due to fear, they later apprised parents and subsequently lodged a police case against the priest.
    
The priest was allegedly involved in similar activities with two other tribal girls of nearby Garjan village under Bramhunitarang police limit, the girls' family said.
    
The accused was later arrested and produced before a local court which remanded him to two weeks' jail custody.