Mangaluru Priest Accused of POCSO Offence Granted Bail

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 1, 2026: Catholic priest Father Cyprian Pinto, who was arrested on allegations of sexually abusing a minor boy at St Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia, Mangaluru, has been granted bail by a court.

The Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Fast Track Special Court-I, Mangaluru, granted bail to Pinto on Thursday, October 29.

Pinto was arrested on October 17, two days after the Mangaluru South Police registered a case against him under Sections 8 (sexual assault) and 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with Section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

During the bail hearing, Pinto’s advocate, Rajesh Kumar Amtady, reportedly argued that the allegations against the priest were false and had been made by individuals unhappy with the strict rules imposed by him at the church. He also pointed out that there was a delay of more than two months between the alleged incident and the filing of the complaint.

Judge K.S. Manu granted bail subject to conditions, including cooperation with the police investigation, and refraining from tampering with evidence or intimidating witnesses.

Pinto had initially filed a bail application on October 17 but subsequently withdrew it.

Meanwhile, reports had earlier stated that Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha was informed about the alleged abuse by members of the Valencia church. On August 17, the Bishop reportedly met five boys who had alleged abuse by the priest, along with their parents.

He is also reported to have ordered an internal inquiry, which was conducted by Judicial Vicar Naveen Pinto. The inquiry report was reportedly forwarded to the Vatican, though this information could not be independently verified.