Why the priest of Gunadala Mary Matha Church is involved in sexploitation and it is reported selectively?

Why the priest of Gunadala Mary Matha Church is involved in sexploitation and it is reported selectively?

Gunadala Mary Matha Church priest involved in sexual exploitation: The management of a Catholic church at Gunadala Mary Matha Church here, which landed in a major controversy following charges of sexual misconduct of a priest, reportedly began inquiry into the episode[1]. “The Times of India” mentions its name, whereas, “The Hindu” does not mention the name of the church involved. The roots of this case seem to be deep as the city police reportedly had to take 11 members into police custody for interrogation as on Saturday 12-03-2016[2]. The religious head had paid ransom to a gang[3]. Not satisfied with the payment, the gang demanded more money and threatened the victim, who approached the police. The priest is understood to have told the police that he paid more than Rs. 1 crore to the gang[4]. He alleged the extortionists, who befriended him, morphed his image in a pornographic film and collected money from him. “It is a fact that a gang blackmailed the religious head and extorted huge money from him. We are investigating the case from all angles,” said City Police Commissioner D. Gautam Sawang.

The involved priest has already been accused of misappropriation of funds etc: However, the church management is inquiring into the behaviour of the religious head and his source of income. It was alleged that a portion of the funds allocated to the shrine and for the poor were misused by him. The City Task Force police collected details of the gang from the priest and rounded up many of the accused. Police are investigating why the religious head was targeted, how he was trapped and the mode of payment made to the extortion gang. Investigation officers are trying to find out whether the pornographic film was original or morphed, if so where the film was shot and the persons involved in the act, including the woman. Police collected the call data of the gangsters and are collecting scientific evidence in the case. The media has been very selective in reporting the facts, as evidently, a Catholic priest has been involved.

 

The Church management is planning to replace the priest after conducting an inquiry: It is said that a follower of the religious head shared sensitive information about the priest, including his financial standing, with the gang which lured him on the pretext of offering a party a few months ago. Later, they started blackmailing him. The role of some media persons came to the fore as they took duplicate copies of the film and collected money from the priest for not telecasting his illegal activities in the news channels. “The extortion gang committed similar offences in other places in the State. We are trying to find out whether the media personnel and advocates whose phone numbers were surfaced in the call data recordings were part of the gang?” an investigation officer told The Hindu . It is learnt that the church management is planning to replace the priest after conducting an inquiry[5]. The heads of the church reportedly sought clarification from the priest on the allegations. However, nothing has been reported the version of the accused priest in the case. In fact, his name itself is not revealed.

July 2015 incidence of sexual harassment a girl by three boys in Gunadala: In and around the Mary Matha Church, Gunadala, there have been several incidences of sexual abuses of girls as selectively reported by the media. A minor girl was reportedly subjected to sexual abuse by five youths at Bethleham Colony in Gunadala[6]. The incident came to light on Saturday. Machavaram police took three of the accused into custody, and registered a case under section 376 of the IPC. A 15-year-old girl, resident of Carmel Nagar in Gunadala, went to the Mary Matha Church along with her boyfriend. He and the four other accused are alleged to have drugged her, took her to a room in Bethleham Colony and sexually abused her for two days. Three of the accused finally dropped the girl in a semi-conscious state at her home in Carmel Nagar on July 17.2015. Her mother, employed as a sweeper by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), had by then lodged a complaint with police. She suspected the involvement of the victim’s boyfriend and his associates. The victim is a class VII dropout. Her boyfriend works at a mobile phone repair shop in Gundala. The police took her boyfriend and two of his associates into custody. They are also on the lookout for the others[7].

Bonga Suresh, priest involved in sexual scandal: Bonga Suresh, a pastor of a Church / parish RCM priest in Krishna district continuously harassed a woman sexually. The video gives full details, as to how he has been sexploiting the girls there. Obviously, the young woman had been threatened as it would affect the image of the church and hence she narrated her sexploitation in limited terms, but exposing the pastor. At one stage,, she was even forced to commit suicide. In fact, she informed the Bishop, but, he refused to entertain her plea, obviously for the honour of the church[8]. Though, the Church denomination is not mentioned, the involvement, sexploitation etc., are exposed thoroughly.

Pornography was discussed during the youth Christian convention, October 2015: In the National Youth Conference of the Assemblies of God in Hyderabad during October 23-25, 2012, Duke Jeyaraj talked about perils of pornography and bust the biggest excuse people use to watch porn which is, “I am watching porn to learn sex technique which I will only use inside of marriage.” Other hot topics were covered brilliantly by other experts and I thank God for each one of them[9]. Whether, it was negative suggestion or otherwise, the very discussion would lead to young people differently. Particularly, when the Indian church has been rocked by thousands of sex, rape and sexploitation cases, why such things are encouraged is not known.

The biased, prejudiced and partial reporting of the media: As many happenings have been taking place involving religious heads in different parts of India and such events are reported, commented upon and viewed by the leading TV-channels, media experts and journalists in not only print and electronic media, but also in social network, the bias in their responses is noted very easily. Much hue and cry has been made about the “World Cultural Festival” conducted on the banks of Yamuna from March 11^th to 13^th 2016. The private visit of temples in Andhra by Nityananda has been sensationalised by the media, meticulously repeating his 2010 incidence and all. But, a Christian priest has been involved, the way the media reports can be noted. In spite of pornography is involved, the media wants to play down and suppress the facts. It is just like the JNU porn CD issue. Here also CDs are in circulation, but, no TV channel broadcast as done in Nityananda case, why? Who imposes such restrictions? Why such partiality comes into play? Is Nityananda been different from Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul or any other rapist, child rapist or paedophile? When he has been reinstated[10], the same media experts kept silence, they did not respond the way they do in facebook and twitter.

© Vedaprakash

14-03-2016

[1]  The times of India, Catholic priest case: 11 persons taken into custody, Phanindra Papasani | TNN | Mar 13, 2016, 12.36 AM IST.

[2] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/Catholic-priest-case-11-persons-taken-into-custody/articleshow/51376906.cms

[3] The Hindu, Priest, blackmailed by gang, paid hefty amount, says CP, by Rajulapudi srinivas, Vijayawada, March.14, 2016; Updated: March 14, 2016 05:46 IST.

[4] http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/priest-blackmailed-by-gang-paid-hefty-amount-says-cp/article8351138.ece

[5] http://www.nyoooz.com/vijayawada/389661/priest-blackmailed-by-gang-paid-hefty-amount-says-cp

[6] The times of India, Minor girl in Vijaywada sexually abused; 3 held, TNN | Jul 19, 2015, 02.34 PM IST

[7] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/Minor-girl-in-Vijaywada-sexually-abused-3-held/articleshow/48132614.cms

[8] http://yttoons.com/watch/KQCBnGpCR0w/sexual-harassment-by-church-father-6tv

[9] http://g-4mission.blogspot.in/2012_11_01_archive.html

[10] http://mattersindia.com/2016/02/queens-woman-shocked-vatican-reinstates-priest-who-raped-her/

Tags: communal, corruption, culture, history, India, secularism, sex, tradition, woman