India, July 18 -- A 45-year-old priest has been formally charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at a temple in outer Delhi's Mundka area, with police submitting a 100-page chargesheet to court last week.

The accused, Balraj Singh, remains in judicial custody after being denied bail on July 10 by a Pocso court that cited concerns about witness tampering.

The disturbing case came to light on April 20 when the Class 9 student told her mother about the alleged assault after exhibiting fear of visiting the temple. According to the chargesheet accessed by HT, the priest allegedly exploited the girl's religious devotion, threatening to "call upon ghosts to haunt her" if she revealed the abuse.

The chargesheet details how Singh al...