MP: 2 priests allegedly rape 5-year-old inside temple premises after luring with sweets

BHOPAL: In yet another horrendous incident of sexual abuse against a child, a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two priests inside temple premises in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district Tuesday.

The priests reportedly lured the victim, a farmer's daughter, with sweets inside the temple and then sexually abused her. 

Later, the accused dropped the victim home and threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone.

The matter came to light after the child's mother noticed that the victim was in pain while she was relieving herself. Initially, she refused to discuss but later narrated her ordeal.

The family immediately contacted the police and rushed the child to the hospital. The child's condition is now stated to be stable.

Goraghat Police have arrested both the accused priests – 55-year-old Raju Pandit and 45-year-old Batoli Prajapati – late Tuesday night. They were booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO). 

Cops suspect the duo might have assaulted other minors too.

In December 2017, MP became the first state to pass a bill allowing death penalty for the culprits in the rape cases involving girls below 12 years of age. 

In April 2018, a four-month-old baby was raped by the uncle in Rajwada area of Indore. The victim was sleeping with parents when the accused lifted the infant and cycled away to a building.  

The blood-soaked body of the infant was recovered from the basement of the building. The incident had shocked the nation. The culprit was later sentenced to death. 

In the last seven months, fast-track courts in the state have pronounced 12 death sentences in rape cases.