TRENTON (NJ)
The Times
Monday, February 13, 2006
By MARK PERKISS
Staff Writer
TRENTON -- A Roman Catholic priest who was accused of improperly touching an 11-year-old girl at a Hamilton church school has been ordered to return to his home parish in India by Bishop John M. Smith.
The decision by Smith, who heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, was released over the weekend, less than two weeks after a Mercer County grand jury threw out a charge of endangering the welfare of a child against the Rev. James Selvaraj, 46, who has been an adjunct priest at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish in Hamilton since 2004.
"He was removed as an active priest once the allegations were made and now the bishop has decided Father Selvaraj should return to his home parish," said Steven Emery, a Diocese of Trenton spokesman.