TN preacher demands selfies from minors in skirts; students share shocking chats

In India, religion is an industry and Godmen, from all communities alike, frequently hit the headlines for crimes like rape, murder, extortion, you name it. It's sad to come across Twitter posts wherein the victims of inappropriate behaviour are left pouring their grief, anger and helplessness in just 260 characters. Things get worse and even beyond disturbing when the perpetrators come garbed under the business of 'God and spirituality'. 

Many of those who recently came across a Twitter thread about a TN preacher accused of inappropriate chats with children, found it sick but not rare. More than a dozen screenshots shared by past students of preacher Samuel Jaisundar are doing the rounds of Twitter, wherein he is initiating suggestive and inappropriate conversations with children.

The preacher belongs to Scripture Union, an organisation devoted to propagating Bible among school students across Tamil Nadu. While Scripture Union has suspended Samuel Jaisundar, but he isn't the only against whom allegations of inappropriate behaviour has surfaced. Three more preachers are also under enquiry for similar allegation against them.  

Representational image.Creative Commons.

Currently under suspension, Samuel Jaisundar was last posted as secretary of the Scripture Union's English publications and as a part of his work, Jaisundar visited several missionary-run Christian schools across the state of Tamil Nadu to conduct Vocational Bible School event. His work profile, along with three other accused preachers from Scripture Union, thereby gave him access to several impressionable and thus vulnerable children.   

What makes the incident all the more disturbing is the fact that it's not the deprived goon in hinterlands but the one accepted and respected in the community committing the crime.  Several former students, who are now college students, have stepped forward to share eerie details of how Jaisundar would initiate conversations, starting from regular school work to moving onto asking girls for selfies in short skirts.

Of cold responses & angry reactions…

Social media gives them both on any occasion. While many a users were disturbed enough to suggest boycotting the Scripture Union, several others demanded, tagging the Chief Minister of the state, cancellation of the license.

Unfortunate, as it might be the fact that perpetrators belonged to a certain community and religion took over from the fact that perpetrators displayed paedophilic behaviour.

Others were not happy with mere suspension or cancellation. Several thought a humiliating judgement at the end of a media trial was more befitting of the behaviour of culprits and the organisation they represented, Scripture Union.