New Delhi: The chief priest (mukhya rawal) of the famous Badrinath shrine, Keshavan Namboodiri was arrested by Delhi's Meharuli Police today on charge of trying to sexually molest a married woman in a hotel.
The victim's father owns a hotel in Badrinath, and the family knew Namboodiri, who had visited the family several times.
On Monday evening, the chief priest rang up the victim and requested her to come to the hotel to meet him. She refused initially, but later agreed.
The victim told India TV: "He wanted me to come immediately. I told him he was in Delhi for three days, and I could come tomorrow, but he insisted I should come immediately.
"I became suspicious. I rang up my husband, and took our car and driver to meet the chief priest. I found the chief priest standing on the road outside the hotel.
"As I was pregnant, he offered to hold my arm, for walking up the stairs, but I refused. Inside his room in that dingy hotel was a teenager, whom he asked to go out.
"There were cigarette stubs and smell of liquor inside the room. He closed the door, and I preferred to sit on a chair near the door.
"He asked me to bring a glass of water. As I took the glass of water to him, he started molesting me. I screamed and rushed out of the room, and he followed me out of the room.
