Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 1: The Bengaluru police have registered a sexual harassment case against archbishop PK Samuel of Central Diocese, Bengaluru (Church of South India) and his associate Vinod Dasan.

The complainant, had attempted suicide at a private hospital in the city on Wednesday, filed a complaint in the Shivajinagar station on Thursday.

The woman told media that Vinod Dasan, a close aide of the archbishop has been harassing her for several years and was the cause for her marriage break-up with her first husband.

She told police that she had filed cases of atrocity and robbery against Dasan but the harassment continued. She then married the second time and moved in with her in-laws in Salem. However, when she returned to her mother’s house on January 13, Dasan visited her and asked her to withdraw the cases. The woman said that Dasan asked her to visit Trinity Church along with her husband on January 21.

When the woman went to the Church accompanied by her husband, he asked her to meet archbishop PK Samuel outside his residence. The woman said that the archbishop asked her to withdraw cases registered against his close aide and in return promised her permanent job in the institute run by the diocese and also money.

However, the woman alleged that the archbishop finding no one around them put his hand around her shoulder and misbehaved with her. When she raised alarm, he threatened her with dire consequences.

The woman depressed, decided to confront the archbishop on January 31 at a hospital where the archbishop’s mother is undergoing treatment. Soon after the confrontation, she consumed pesticide hoping to end her life.

Meanwhile, archbishop Samuel has denied the woman’s allegations and said that he has never met the woman before. When questioned about his proximity with Dasan, he said he is close to all devotees of the church.