KOLLAM: A temple priest has been arrested by the police in Kollam for molesting a boy studying in the eighth standard. Mani Lal, a native of Karunagapalli, was nabbed by the Kadakkal police.

The victim was raped on 27 September. The boy asked for a lift on Mani Lal’s bike while he was returning from school. On the way, Mani Lal brought him shawarma and took him to his house, where he raped the boy.

When the boy returned home his parents noticed changes in his behavior and took him to Kollam district hospital. The victim revealed the incident of rape to the counselor at the hospital. The parents then filed a complaint at the Kadakkal police station.

Mani Lal, a priest at a temple in Kadakkal, had gone into hiding by this time. The police caught Mani Lal today. He is also accused in other similar cases. The accused has been remanded.