Udupi : Padubidri police arrested president of Hejmady unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for sexually harassing two minor girls who had visited his shop on May 6, Tuesday.

The arrested is identified as Keshava Suvarna (50), who is also member of the managing committee of Hejmady Lord Mahalingeshwara Temple and owner of Fancy and Footwear shop located near Hejmady bus stand.

It is learnt that Suvarna behaved indecently and sexually harassed two minor girls aged seven and six, belonging to other community.

The girls rushed to their house and complained to their family about obscene video clips shown by Suvarna from his cell phone and showed his private parts. Later in the evening, the family of girls along with locals belonging to other community, reached his shop and handed him over to the police by chasing him.

According to the sources, there are case filed against Suvarna in at Padubidri station in 2012, for mentally harassing a married woman residing in a rented house in Hejmady and making repeated obscene calls to her, who was running a beauty parlour. Due to the harassment, the woman had also tried to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills.

After the incident, VHP district committee had issued a press release, stated that Suvarna did not have anything to do with their organization.
Suvarna has been booked under provisions relating to atrocities over dalit women.