Odisha court gives 18 months imprisonment to priest on charges of sexual harassment

A court in the Odisha capital sentenced a ‘sevayat’ (priest) of Shree Lingaraj Temple here to 18 months of imprisonment for sexually harassing a woman foreign tourist.

 

The court of the judicial magistrate first class on Monday pronounced the judgement within four weeks of the crime.

 

Kundan Mahapatra, the convict, sexually harassed the Swedish tourist on February 19 when she was roaming alone near the 11th Century Lingaraj temple here.

 

Following the incident, the victim filed a complaint with the police and the priest was arrested the same day.

 

The police filed the charge sheet in just four days (February 23) and the trial began on February 26.