Daijiworld Media Network – Coimbatore

Coimbatore, Apr 14: In a significant breakthrough, pastor D John Jebaraj from Coimbatore was arrested in Munnar, Kerala, for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls at his residence last year.

The 37-year-old, formerly associated with the King Generation Prayer Hall in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, had been absconding for several months before being traced by the Central all women police station, Coimbatore. He was taken into custody and produced before the court on Sunday, following which he was remanded to judicial custody, according to an NDTV report.

Jebaraj, known for organising Christian concerts across the country and boasting a substantial social media following, had managed to evade arrest despite several efforts. The Coimbatore city police had formed multiple special teams to track him, and a lookout notice had been issued to prevent him from fleeing the country.

The case, registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, pertains to an incident that took place on May 21, 2024, at Jebaraj’s residence in the GN Mills locality. As per a report by The Times of India, the pastor allegedly misbehaved with two girls, aged 17 and 14, during a party he hosted at his residence. One of the victims recently disclosed the incident to a relative, which led to a formal complaint being filed at the Central all women police station.

However, the TOI report also states that the accused did not commit penetrative sexual assault on the victims.

Jebaraj remains in custody as investigations into the case continue.