Police in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad have booked the pastor of Global Faith Ministries Church, Masa J.D. Paul, on serious charges of harassing women and abusing his authority within the church. According to reports, the accused allegedly misused his pastoral position to target female worshippers attending Church prayer sessions, prompting multiple complaints that led to the registration of a case and a formal investigation.
According to complaints submitted to the police, the allegations include repeated episodes of harassment of women worshippers who attended prayer meetings at the church. Following the death in 2021 of the earlier church head, Masa Yesu Ratnam, the father of Masa J.D. Paul, the latter allegedly took control of the original church premises. Earlier, he is accused of ejecting members of his father’s congregation and shifting them to a separate facility in Balanagar, while continuing to operate the church under his control.
Further allegations claim that inside the church premises women were covertly recorded and that CCTV cameras were installed without proper disclosure.
The victims say they were threatened and intimidated when they pressed concerns, and that the church management under the pastor and his mother, Masa Ruthamma, began to treat the place of worship as though it could be “transacted” or sold.
Recent investigations and convictions across different states indicate a concerning pattern of sexual offences committed within Church premises by individuals in positions of religious authority. These cases highlight abuse of trust, exploitation of vulnerable devotees, and violations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In multiple incidents, Church pastors have targeted teenage girls and young women who visited for prayer or personal guidance. The accused allegedly used their access and influence within church premises to sexually assault the victims and subsequently threaten them into silence. The offences were committed in enclosed or isolated areas of the Church, making it difficult for victims to seek immediate help or raise alarm.
One of the notable cases occurred in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, where Pastor N. Koteswara Rao was convicted under the POCSO Act in 2024. The court sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting and impregnating a 15-year-old girl who had visited the church regularly.
Another significant case was reported from Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, in May 2024, where 54-year-old Church pastor M. Raghu Rajakumar was apprehended after evading arrest for five months. He was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl within the Church premises located on Eri Theru.
These cases demonstrate how secluded Church environments are being misused by certain individuals to commit serious sexual offences.
