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Two days after a church priest in Karnataka’s Mangaluru was arrested over allegations of sexually abusing minor boys, a police inquiry conducted before his arrest has come under scrutiny because the report concluded that allegations against him could not be substantiated.

The inquiry, conducted by the Mangaluru South police and detailed in a September 8 report, recorded the statements of the church administrator, the priest who succeeded Pinto, and Pinto himself. However, the report does not mention recording statements from the alleged victims or their parents.

The inquiry followed complaints child-protection authorities received from parents concerned about their children’s safety. In a communication to the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Dakshina Kannada, the authorities said allegations had been made against Pinto and that several parents had raised concerns about their children’s safety. The DCPU subsequently requested the Mangaluru South police to investigate the allegations and submit a report.

In its communication after the police inquiry, the DCPU said the police reported that the allegations could not be substantiated. The report was subsequently submitted to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on September 16.

The findings are now under scrutiny following Pinto’s arrest in the Pocso case, raising questions about the scope of the initial inquiry and the steps taken to verify the allegations.

According to sources, the children’s parents had first approached the bishop with a written complaint in August, expecting the church authorities to take action. However, instead of immediately reporting the allegations to the police or other competent authorities, the diocese conducted an internal inquiry, sources alleged.

Following the inquiry, Pinto was placed on administrative leave and moved from the church associated with the diocese near the Karnataka-Kerala border. Sources alleged that he was subsequently moved between locations associated with the diocese, including an estate in Sakleshpur.

Sources further alleged that the bishop was aware of the complaints from the initial stages and that the handling of the matter amounted to an attempt to shield the accused priest.

Under the Pocso Act, suspected sexual offences against children must be reported to the authorities as soon as they come to light. However, the parents first approached the bishop, after which the church administration conducted an internal inquiry, allegedly delaying the filing of a police complaint.

Stanly said the families had mailed complaints to the Directorate of Child Protection in Bengaluru. According to him, the directorate sent an official communication to the DCPU, Dakshina Kannada, in September. He alleged that the subsequent inquiry involving the DCPU, the bishop’s office and the local police did not result in timely action.

Stanly has since submitted an additional complaint to the police commissioner, seeking to include the bishop in the FIR and to investigate the alleged delay by the church and government authorities.

“The FIR mentions the period of sexual abuse as August 14 to October 15, but the families’ accounts indicate that the incidents occurred before August 14, which they described as the last date on which the abuse took place. The priest had already been placed on administrative leave during the period mentioned in the FIR. We have sought clarification on these dates based on the children’s accounts,” he said.

The case has now been handed over to an assistant commissioner of police (ACP)-rank officer, who has been directed to inquire into the lapses in the initial investigation and submit a report, the commissioner said.

The FIR currently names five victims. The commissioner said the police would reach out to others who may have been affected and record their statements.

The commissioner also confirmed receiving an additional complaint from the NGO. “We have received an additional complaint seeking the inclusion of the bishop’s name in the FIR and raising questions about the period of the alleged offences. We will examine these allegations as part of the ACP-level inquiry. If the findings warrant any changes to the FIR, the necessary action will be taken,” Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said.