D. John Jebaraj, a 37-year-old pastor known for his Christian musical performances, was arrested in Munnar, Kerala, on charges of sexually assaulting two minor girls at his residence in Coimbatore nearly a year ago. The arrest was carried out by the Central All Women Police of Coimbatore, following a complaint filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The incident in question occurred on May 21, 2024, during a party hosted by Jebaraj at his home in the GN Mills area of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The two victims, aged 14 and 17 at the time, were allegedly subjected to sexual assault during the event. The matter came to light only recently when one of the victims disclosed the abuse to her family, prompting them to approach the police.
Upon receiving the complaint, the Central All Women Police registered a case against Jebaraj under Sections 9(l)(m) and 10 of the POCSO Act, which pertain to aggravated sexual assault and its punishment. Investigations revealed that while the assaults did not involve penetrative acts, they were nonetheless serious offenses under the law.
Tamil Nadu: A Christian priest, John Jebaraj, was arrested under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually abusing two minor girls in Coimbatore. The incident occurred 11 months ago, and he was caught in Munnar after a special police search operation pic.twitter.com/Cn9lbNHJ20
— IANS (@ians_india) April 13, 2025
Jebaraj, originally from Sengottai in Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu, had been evading arrest by fleeing to Kerala. A special police team, led by Inspector Arjun Kumar, tracked him down in Munnar and apprehended him on Saturday evening. He was brought back to Coimbatore in the early hours of Sunday and is expected to be presented before a POCSO special court.
Prior to his arrest, the Coimbatore police had issued a lookout notice to prevent Jebaraj from leaving the country. Reports indicate that he had also filed a pre-arrest bail plea in the Chennai High Court, which is scheduled for hearing on April 15.
