Maharashtra Priest Faces POCSO Charges for Assault

A priest named Nilesh Shashikant Kulkarni was charged with sexually assaulting a minor at a pilgrimage center in Maharashtra. The case was filed under the POCSO Act based on the complaint from the victim's father. Investigations are ongoing to determine if there are more victims.

A priest in Maharashtra has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy at a pilgrimage center in Ghansawangi tehsil, Jalna district, police reported on Sunday.

The accused, 28-year-old Nilesh Shashikant Kulkarni, faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The complaint was filed by the victim's father on February 18, said Ghansawangi police sub-inspector AK Dhakne.

Kulkarni, who resides in Donagaon, Paroda tehsil, Dharashiv district, is accused of luring the minor with chocolates before assaulting and threatening him to keep silent. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover if additional victims exist, police said.

(With inputs from agencies.)