Venkulam priest jailed 7 years for rape in alleged exorcism
India
A priest from Venkulam, Edava (Kerala), has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a woman after convincing her he could perform rituals to rid her husband of an alleged evil spirit.
The crime happened back in April 2016, but only came to light when the survivor bravely filed a complaint.
Along with jail time, the court fined him ₹50,000.
Priest Rajesh convicted under Section 376
The assaults took place inside a storeroom at a religious institution.
After the survivor spoke up, Rajesh was arrested and found guilty of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Judge A Shahjahan led the trial. If Rajesh doesn't pay the fine, he'll serve an extra year behind bars.