Malaysian authorities have launched a manhunt for an Indian priest accused of molesting beauty queen Lishalliny Kanaran under the pretense of performing a religious ritual.
The alleged incident took place on June 21 at the Mariamman Temple in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Lishalliny Kanaran, winner of Miss Grand Malaysia 2021 and a rising actress, revealed the disturbing episode in a recent Instagram post. She stated that the priest, temporarily officiating in place of the temple’s regular priest who is abroad, lured her into his private office after her prayers. Claiming he wanted to give her a special blessing, he allegedly splashed her with scented holy water and then proceeded to touch her inappropriately.
“I froze. I couldn’t move or speak. My mind knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t react,” she wrote, recounting how he put his hands inside her blouse and bra while continuing to murmur incomprehensible prayers.
Lishalliny, who had gone alone to the temple that day, said she initially stayed silent, unable to process the trauma. When her mother returned from India, she opened up, and the family immediately filed a police complaint on July 4. However, by the time they approached the temple, the priest had fled.
Sepang district police chief ACP Norhizam Bahaman confirmed that the suspect is an Indian national. “The priest was temporarily filling in and allegedly used the blessing ritual as a cover to molest the victim,” he told Malay Mail. He also revealed that the same priest had been accused previously, raising concerns of a possible cover-up by temple authorities.
The incident has sparked outrage, especially as it occurred in a place meant to be sacred and safe. Lishalliny expressed deep emotional pain over the betrayal, saying, “That betrayal is what cuts the deepest. I was molested in a temple. And I couldn’t react.”
Police investigations are ongoing, and efforts are underway to locate and arrest the accused.
