Madhya Pradesh: Preacher arrested for sexually assaulting 3 minor girls in Satna, booked under POCSO Act

A religious preacher was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of sexually assaulting three minor girls in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Gautam Solanki, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Satna said that the accused has been booked under (POCSO) Act 2012 and the SC/ST (Atrocities Protection Act).

The accused has been identified as Narayan Swarup Tripathi who was arrested in Maihar Dehat (Nadan) police station area.  

According to ANI, the parents of the victim in their complaint stated that the accused religious preacher called the three victims in a room on the pretext of performing a ritual and allegedly sexually assaulted them. The parents alleged that the preacher called them into the room to performing rituals for Kal Sarp Dosh in their horoscopes.

Meanwhile, the law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has written to the Chief Justices of all High Courts in the country to complete trials in all rape cases including those registered under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act within six months.

He has also directed the chief ministers of all the states to conclude the probe into such incidents within two months. He also informed that as many as 1,023 fast-track courts will be set up across the country to conduct the trials in a speedy and efficient manner.

The decision comes after two brutal incidents of rape and murder in Hyderabad and Unnao that triggered widespread protests in India about women's safety.