2 held for rape, illegal confinement; victims rescued

Tribune news service

Amritsar, May 18

The police have rescued two women from an illegal detention at Ram Tirath temple here. The duo was allegedly kept in confinement and being raped by temple priests.

The incident came to light when member of the Punjab SC Commission Tarsem Singh Sailka lodged a complaint against the priests.

As per the complaint, the priests had kept the two women, both residents of Ghaniyet Ke Bangar in Batala, in illegal detention on the temple premises. 

Taking cognisance of the complaint, SSP Vikram Jeet Duggal dispatched a police team headed by SP Amandeep Kaur and DSP Gurpartap Singh Sahota to the site and rescued the women.  

The police team, accompanied by SC Commission member Sailka and Tehsildar Jagsir Singh, also nabbed priests Girdari Nath and Varinder Nath.

Later, based on the complaint of the women, the police registered a case of rape and illegal detention against four priests. Besides Girdari Nath and Varinder Nath, the police also booked Nachhatar Nath and Suraj Nath.

The two are absconding and raids are on to nab them, said the SSP.