Navi Mumbai: Pastor running church illegally held for molestation in Nerul

The NRI Coastal police arrested a 50-year-old man after a 14-year-old girl complained of molestation in the church where she was given shelter by the accused. The arrested man was running the church illegally and had given shelter to minor girls brought in from different states.

Last week, the Thane District Women and Child Development (WCD) Department rescued 45 children from an ashram school being run illegally at the Bethel Gospel Charitable Trust Church in Seawoods Sector 48. All the children are between the ages of 3 years and 18 years and were kept in unhygienic rooms. All of them were sent to a children’s home in Ulhasnagar.

Following the rescue operation, a 14-year-old girl complained of molestation, an FIR was registered at NRI Coastal police and arrested the self-proclaimed father of the church. He was identified as Rajkumar Yessudasan. Ravindra Patil, a senior police inspector from NRI Coastal police confirmed the arrest. He said that Yessudasan had occupied a CIDCO plot illegally and constructed a temporary structure where he was running a church.

“He had given shelter to many children which were rescued by WCD Department Thane last week. After a 14-year-old minor girl complained of molestation, a case was registered against him,” said Patil. Yesudasan was arrested under the relevant section of the molestation and the POCSO Act.