‘I Love You’ texts, Rs 24,000 ritual fee: Kerala temple admin rapes Bengaluru woman to lift a curse

BENGALURU: What began as a search for spiritual relief ended in trauma for a 38-year-old woman from the city, as she was allegedly raped multiple times by a temple administrator from Kerala under the pretext of lifting a curse.

Late last week, police arrested 40-year-old Arun TA of Peringottukara temple in Kizhakkummuri, while a co-accused, priest Unni Damodaran, remains on the run.The woman had visited the temple in March along with three friends after learning about it online. She later approached Bellandur police with a detailed complaint, recounting how Arun and the priest convinced her that she was the victim of a spell, and exploited her vulnerability in the name of rituals.Having lost her husband in 2016, the woman was raising her two sons alone and had been facing personal and financial struggles. She alleged that the two men assured her some special pujas could rid her of the "curse" on her and solve her problems. She initially paid Rs 24,000 for the rituals, and when she told Arun she couldn't afford to pay more, he offered to cover the rest himself.But the promises soon gave way to threats and coercion.

Arun allegedly began calling her frequently, making inappropriate remarks, and asking her to follow his instructions during video calls. "... He was sending messages saying 'I Love You'... He said I was a beautiful woman and told me I must obey him. He also told me to inform him in advance when I planned to visit, so that he could book a room at the temple," her complaint read.According to police sources, in one instance, Arun allegedly asked her to undress over a video call, under the threat that she would never be free of the black magic otherwise.

When she refused to comply, he allegedly warned her that he had a nude video of her and would harm her sons by casting a spell on them.On May 10, the woman travelled to the temple again. There, Arun allegedly took her to a room on the temple premises and raped her. She said priest Damodaran stood guard outside during the assault. On May 21, she said, he picked her up, drove to a forested location, locked the car doors, and raped her again. Distressed, she confided in her family and, on their advice, approached the cops.Police arrested Arun and search is on for Damodaran.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)