- By Chetna Shree
- Thu, 10 Jul 2025 01:49 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
An Indian-origin model and beauty pageant holder accused a Hindu priest, allegedly an Indian national, of molesting her under the pretence of blessing her. The model, identified as Lishalliny Kanaran, took to Instagram to share the incident. According to Kanaran, the incident took place at Mariamman Temple in Malaysia's Sepang earlier last month when she visited the temple. In her complaint to the police, Kanaran alleged that the priest "molested" her after pouring "holy water" on her face.
"The suspect is believed to be an Indian national temporarily officiating at the temple during the absence of its resident priest. The suspect sprinkled holy water on the victim’s body and face before molesting her," Sepang district police chief, ACP Norhizam Bahaman, said as quoted by South China Morning Post.
How The Incident Unfolded?
Lishalliny Kanaran alleged that she went to the Mariamman temple alone on June 21, as her mother was in India at the time. In her Instagram post, she wrote, "There's a priest there who would usually guide me through the rituals, since I'm new to all this. I don't know much, and I've always appreciated his help. On that day, while I was praying, he approached me and told me he had some holy water and a protective string to tie for me; a blessing, he said. He asked me to see him after my prayers."
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Kanaran further said that she waited for the priest for over an hour as he was blessing other devotees at the temple. Soon after, the priest asked her to follow him to his private office, where the alleged molestation took place.
Kanaran, who also won the Miss Grand Malaysia in 2021, claimed that the priest poured a "very strong-smelling liquid" on her body and face and asked her to undress. When she refused to follow, the priest scolded her for wearing tight clothes. He then stood behind her and started chanting something while holding her head.
Kanaran, in her post, further wrote, "then, without warning, he put his hand inside my blouse, into my bra, and started touching me inappropriately. He said it would be a 'blessing' if I did 'it' with him because he serves God."
"My brain knew everything about that moment was wrong, and yet I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I froze. And I still don't understand why. That was where it happened, at a temple. That betrayal is what cuts the deepest. I won't go into more detail. But I was MOLESTED by that priest. And I couldn't react," she wrote.
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Police Case Filed Against The Priest
Lishalliny further said that she kept the incident a secret for around two weeks but told her family on July 4. She then reported the incident to the police, and a case was filed against the priest. However, Lishalliny Kanaran further accused the temple management of "protecting" the accused and said that someone had told him about the police case in advance.
She also alleged that the investigating officer asked her to refrain from posting anything related to the incident on social media, saying, "if you do, it'll be your fault and you'll be blamed." "From the very beginning we arrived to the temple, it felt like they were on the temple chairman's side, not mine," Lishalliny Kanaran wrote.
