Impostor priest at large

MUMBAI, Aug 27: A robber, who has visited every Christian house in Jahangir Complex, a 20-building housing colony at Mira Road, in the la...

MUMBAI, Aug 27: A robber, who has visited every Christian house in Jahangir Complex, a 20-building housing colony at Mira Road, in the last three days posing as a priest, is now targeting women staying alone in the locality. On Tuesday afternoon he stripped and robbed a housewife, whose husband works abroad.

The robber, who introduced himself as John Carvalloh, Cyril, and Joe to different people, first called on the housewife on August 22 and said he was surveying the area in his capacity as a priest. He claimed he was attached to a religious institute near Kalyan and had wanted to meet parishioners at leisure to solve their personal problems. He called the woman again the next day and said he wanted to pay her a visit again.

However, the woman excused herself saying that it was too late in the night and that he could come the next day in the afternoon.

He showed up at the appointed hour on Tuesday August 25 and was ushered in by the unsuspecting woman. Once inside, he removed his cassock and pulled out a kitchen knife. He then asked the woman to remove her clothes and jewellry and tied her to a chair. The woman, who does not want to reveal her identity, said while leaving with her jewellry, he said he had 8220;orders to kill8221; her but was sparing her life because she was very 8220;sweet8221;. The impostor also did not touch her wedding ring.

Soon after he left, the victim managed to set herself free and raised an alarm thus foiling the robber8217;s attempts to attack another woman with whom he had an appointment fixed.

The victim was later rushed to a nearby nursing house in a state of shock by neighbours before being moved to her in-law8217;s house at Shanti Nagar.A resident of Jahangir Complex, under conditions of anonymity, told this reporter that the priest 8220;has remarkable knowledge of Bible. He is a fine speaker and his reasoning is equally sound.8221; When the imposter was asked by a resident which part of the country he hailed from, his answer was he belonged to the 8220;universe8221;. Residents described him to be around 35 years of age and wheatish in complexion. He is about 5 ft 9quot; tall and heavily built.

The Kashimira police, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, confirmed the incident, but said they were waiting for a complaint to be lodged.