In a shocking case that spans over six years, Dr. Madhusha, a Sri Lankan Tamil doctor from Mannar, has been fighting a relentless battle for justice after allegedly being sexually harassed by a pastor from the Pentecostal Mission church in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The case has since spiraled into a nightmare involving false cases, imprisonment, torture, and the tragic loss of her unborn child.
Background and Education
Dr. Madhusha, a Sri Lankan Tamil from Mannar, completed her MBBS in Kyrgyzstan and graduated in 2024. She is registered to practice medicine and has clinical rotations planned in the United States and Australia. She is currently preparing for her US clinical rotations.
Dr. Madhusha is married to a North Indian man from Uttar Pradesh who works as a software project manager for Boeing International in Bengaluru. The couple married in Delhi in 2011 and have been residing in Bengaluru.
The Vellore Connection: How She Came to the City
Dr. Madhusha’s connection to Vellore came through the Pentecostal Mission church, which has branches worldwide across 26 countries. The church’s headquarters is in Perungalathur, Irumbuliyur, Chennai, but one of its major branches is located in Vellore.
The church was originally founded in Sri Lanka by Pastor Paul Raman Paul Kutty from Kerala, who was initially a Hindu before converting. The mission later spread to Thoothukudi and then to Chennai.
Dr. Madhusha had watched Pastor Thurai’s sermons on YouTube and had also attended his Bible study sessions when he visited Sri Lanka. In 2019, she and her husband traveled to Vellore specifically to seek prayer from Pastor Thurai, believing him to be a spiritual father figure who could pray for healing and personal issues.
The Incident
In September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Madhusha visited the Pentecostal Mission church in Vellore for prayer. Her husband was in Delhi for work at the time. She had previously attended prayer meetings in 2019 with her husband, and they had developed trust in the pastor.
According to Dr. Madhusha, the pastor, identified as Pastor Thurai, called her into a separate room for prayer. While her husband was away, he allegedly made inappropriate advances. She resisted but did not shout out of fear and the mental stress she was already undergoing.
Cover-up and Isolation
When Dr. Madhusha complained to the Superior Mother at the church, she was told that such behavior was unlikely from the pastor, who was considered “like a father.” The church leadership allegedly attempted to cover up the matter.
Dr. Madhusha then used the intercom phone in the church kitchen—which was directly connected to Pastor Thurai’s room—to call him. He responded by shouting and abusing her, accusing her of “defaming his name and humiliating him in front of the sisters.”
He later unblocked her number and, through his driver Muthu, sent her to another small branch of the church in Thyagarajapuram, Vellore. This branch had only four sisters and a small room with an attached bathroom, where she was isolated.
Suspicion of Poisoning
At the smaller church, after eating food provided there, Dr. Madhusha developed severe skin dryness and peeling all over her body. When she raised concerns with the Superior Mother, she was told it was due to Vellore’s heat. However, Dr. Madhusha noted that she had been in Vellore previously for a week without any such reaction, leading her to suspect something was mixed into her food. She called her husband and arranged to return to Bengaluru.
First Complaint and Evidence Collection
Dr. Madhusha first filed a complaint with the church headquarters in September 2020. Church officials demanded evidence to take action. She had none, as the incident happened unexpectedly. She threatened to go public on YouTube, and in December 2020, she started a YouTube channel. The church then asked the pastor to speak with her again, during which she secretly recorded the conversations.
Despite providing these recordings, the church took no action.
Fear for Life
Dr. Madhusha learned that at another branch in Thoothukudi, a pastor from the same church had been killed. Fearing for her life due to the church’s influence, she left for further studies abroad in September 2021.
Complaint to Tamil Nadu Police
In December 2021, Dr. Madhusha filed a complaint with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s cell. In February 2022, she followed up, but was summoned to appear at the Vellore police station. She was abroad at the time and informed authorities she would appear during her leave in July 2022.
Harassment at Vellore Police Station
When she arrived in India in July 2022 and visited the Vellore Women’s Police Station, she was made to wait from morning until 7:30 PM. The investigation officer had been transferred to Paramakudi. Through an advocate, an inquiry was conducted, and she was told an FIR had been filed. However, she was made to wait all day for a copy of the FIR.
At around 7:30 PM, several tall, important-looking people entered the police station and attempted to assault her. Lady police officers present prevented them from touching her. She screamed loudly, and the DSP called, after which the Sub-Inspector, Sathyavani, arranged an auto-rickshaw to drop her at the Bengaluru bus stand.
Abduction by Private Vehicle
When Dr. Madhusha returned with her husband the following Sunday, they were told the Inspector would come. While waiting, a white-colored private vehicle with all-color number plates arrived. Three to four civilians forcibly dragged Dr. Madhusha and her husband into the vehicle, snatching their phones and her husband’s company laptop.
Kidnapping to Sivakasi
They were driven to Sivakasi in the middle of the night. Upon arrival, a police officer verbally abused her, calling her degrading names. The officer claimed that a complaint had been filed against Dr. Madhusha by two women from Sathiyapuram in Sivakasi who claimed she had posted nude videos about them on YouTube.
These women were allegedly believers of the same pastor when he had served in Sivakasi years earlier. Dr. Madhusha had never been to Sivakasi and did not know these women.
Imprisonment
Through advocates and human rights activists like Henry Tiphagne, who were informed by a Christian advocate named Adhisayakumar from Thoothukudi, intervention was sought. Around 17-20 advocates arrived at the police station that night.
The next night, Dr. Madhusha and her husband were produced in the Sivakasi court. Her husband, who does not know Tamil, was sent to Virudhunagar jail, while she was initially sent to Madurai jail and then transferred to Puzhal jail in Chennai.
Judge’s Response
In court, Dr. Madhusha pleaded with the judge, saying: “I am a Christian. I don’t know these people. I was brought here because of Pastor Thurai’s issue from the Vellore police station. Please release my husband. Whatever punishment you give me, I will accept.”
The judge reportedly responded: “No, because of your husband’s remand.”
Her husband, who knew nothing and had no connection to the case, spent three months in Virudhunagar jail.
Second False Case
While in jail, the pastor allegedly filed a second false case through another believer from Pallikaranai, claiming Dr. Madhusha had defamed the believer’s mother. This case was handled at the Alandur court.
Torture in Jail
While in jail, Dr. Madhusha’s husband was allegedly tortured. He was forced to clean toilets, and due to his timid nature, he suffered greatly.
Release on Bail
Bail was secured through intervention from a Catholic church in Sri Lanka. Her mother’s cousin, a priest, approached the Sri Lankan bishop from Mannar, who then contacted a Tamil Nadu bishop. The bishop reached out to the Communist Party, who found advocates in Sivakasi. Her husband had also engaged an advocate from Chengalpattu, but that advocate allegedly “jumped to the opposite side.”
Dr. Madhusha was kept in jail until 30 December 2022. The bail bond was delayed by five days from the Alandur court to Puzhal jail. She was finally released on 30 December 2022.
Police Escort
During her court appearances, she was escorted by three escorts in front and two behind with AK-47 rifles. Police would transport her in public buses, causing severe humiliation. She was labeled as a “Sri Lankan Tamil” and treated like a major criminal.
Pregnancy and Miscarriage
After her release, Dr. Madhusha became pregnant. Despite this, the pastor continued to harass her. Her passport was impounded as a bail condition in the Sivakasi case.
A third complaint was filed by another woman, Monisha, a close acquaintance of Pastor Thurai, in Thoothukudi. A police constable from Thoothukudi called her and issued an arrest warrant with her husband’s name and her name under Sections 143 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
Upon hearing this news, Dr. Madhusha was in the middle of a medical scan at a clinic. She felt dizzy, fell, and hit her abdomen, causing bleeding. The umbilical cord partially dislodged, and the baby was diagnosed with a “single umbilical cord.”
Loss of Child
The stress continued. While applying for the release of her passport in Madurai, she had to stand from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM at the Sivakasi court due to delays by the judge and her own advocate. She was heavily pregnant at the time.
On the way back to Bengaluru by bus, the journey was too rough. The next day, her water broke, and she was rushed to the hospital. The doctor informed her that the baby could not be saved at 24 weeks and 6 days. She suffered severe depression and loneliness after losing her child.
Current Status
Dr. Madhusha filed her original complaint in September 2020. In July 2026, the police finally registered an FIR after years of struggle. She filed a petition in the Madras High Court before Justice Ilanthiraiyan, seeking directions to complete the investigation. The court reportedly gave directions to expedite the process.
On August 6, Pastor Thurai filed for anticipatory bail. On 19 August 2026, the anticipatory bail was approved.
Dr. Madhusha continues her fight for justice. She is now being supported by Emmanuel Sekaran’s grandson, Ramesh, from Paramakudi. Emmanuel Sekaran was a prominent social worker and activist in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Madhusha has faced numerous threats, including calls to her husband and her mother in Sri Lanka. She has all recordings of these threats and continues to fight for justice against the pastor, the church leadership, and the police officials who mishandled her case.
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