A shocking and disturbing case has come to light as the Tirunelveli Mahila Court on 27 March 2025, sentenced a Christian priest and his driver to seven years of concurrent imprisonment for sexually assaulting multiple women and threatening to leak their intimate photos online in 2016.
Following a detailed trial, Judge T. Panneerselvam convicted 47-year-old priest Joshua Emmanuel from Karuppur near Ettayapuram in Thoothukudi district, and his 32-year-old driver Vinoth Kumar. Joshua was sentenced to 24 years under various sections of the IPC and IT Act, but the court ruled that he would serve seven years concurrently. He was also slapped with a ₹54,000 fine. Meanwhile, Vinoth Kumar, who was found guilty of assisting in the crimes, received a 15-year sentence under different sections, to be served concurrently for seven years, along with a ₹3,000 fine.
The heinous crimes were committed under the guise of religious rituals. Joshua Emmanuel deceived women by claiming to perform prayers to remove ‘evil forces’ affecting their lives. He allegedly took them to isolated locations, where he sexually assaulted them and extorted their jewelry. Additionally, he lured educated women with false promises of government jobs before subjecting them to abuse.
The horrifying case unraveled when a 24-year-old woman and a 26-year-old B.Ed student from the district filed complaints with the Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police. One of the victims revealed that Joshua took her to Salem and assaulted her. The B.Ed student, who accused the priest of sexual exploitation, later died by suicide, leaving behind a note blaming him.
Following the explosive complaints, police launched an investigation and arrested Joshua Emmanuel and Vinoth Kumar from Virudhunagar. This chilling case has sent shockwaves across the region, exposing the dark side of abuse hidden behind religious deception.
(With Inputs From TNIE)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.