A clergyman belonging to the Thanjavur diocese was arrested for reportedly misbehaving with a class 10 boy who travelled on his motorcycle.
The 15-year-old boy, son of Ramaraj of Aravampatti village and studying in class 10 at Holy Mary higher secondary school at Thachangkurichi, was waiting for a bus at the bus stop with his schoolmates on Friday evening to return home.
When he saw the priest riding a motorbike, he hesitantly asked for a ‘lift’.
The clergyman generously obliged and made the boy sit on the fuel tank. But he reportedly misbehaved with the boy by kissing and hugging him during the ride.
The shocked boy raised an alarm when the bike reached Komapuram bus stop and screamed for help. He also switched off the motorbike by removing the key.
The priest snatched the key and sped away with him before the locals could come to the boy’s rescue.
The public passed on the information to the drivers at the taxi stand in Gandarvakottai while a few of them chased the priest on their motorcycles.
They intercepted the priest and rescued the boy near the Gandarvakottai taxi stand. They also handed over the priest to the police station.
The priest was identified as George Stephen (40) belonging to Thanjavur diocese.
Subsequently, the police registered a case under various sections, including misbehaving with the boy and threatening to murder him.