Former temple priest held for rape

Mumbai: A 35-year-old former priest attached to a temple was arrested from South Mumbai for allegedly raping and blackmailing a 38-year-old married woman, police said today.

The accused, identified as Prem Singh Parmar, was arrested last night.

Police said Parmar, earlier working with a temple in Cotton Green area, had allegedly been raping the woman since 2013.

A police official said Parmar became friendly with the woman when she used to visit the temple. Parmar, a resident of Kalbadevi in South Mumbai,
allegedly called the woman to his house in 2013 under the pretext of offering her a "special prasad".
He then spiked her drink and snapped her nude photos with him while she was unconscious, police said.
According to police, Parmar had been raping the woman since then while threatening her to show the pictures to her in-laws.

The official said the accused had also sent abusive text messages to the woman. The woman finally confided in her husband about the ordeal, following which a complaint was lodged at Gamdevi police station last night.

Parmar has been booked under various sections of IPC including rape, outraging modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation.
He was produced before a local court today which remanded him in police custody for five days.