BRITAIN
ic Croydon
Jan 14 2005
By Jen Bishop
A HINDU priest accused of rape claimed that his victim had been his wife in a past life and God had brought them back together again, a court heard.
Ramanathan Somanathan, the aya of the Hindu temple in Thornton Road, Thornton Heath, is denying two counts of rape.
Gillian Etherton, prosecuting Somanathan at Croydon Crown Court this week, said the 29-year-old Tamil woman decided to buy a new flat for herself and her son, and went to married Somanathan to get her chart read - a common practice in the Hindu religion.
It involved the stars and planets and predictions for her future. Miss Etherton said: "The aya asked her some personal questions and she felt uncomfortable and cried.