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More charges against former Hindu priest

The former priest of an Abbotsford Hindu temple who was charged with sex offences involving two teen girls is in trouble with the law again.

The former priest of an Abbotsford Hindu temple who was charged with sex offences involving two teen girls over a year ago is in trouble with the law again.

Karam Vir, 32, has been charged with three counts of uttering threats and one count of assault in two separate incidents.

Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said the first occurred in the fall of 2009, when Vir allegedly threatened a 52-year-old man and grabbed him by the arm.

The second was in September 2010, when a 51-year-old man was allegedly threatened by Vir.

MacDonald did not know the exact circumstances involved in the offences, but the first alleged victim did not approach police until after the second incident had occurred.

Charges were approved by Crown counsel last month, and Vir made his first court appearance on the matter on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a trial date has not yet been set on the two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault with which Vir was charged in November 2010.

Abbotsford Police began an investigation in March 2010 after a group came forward with concerns of “improper conduct” by a priest at the Hindu temple on Walmsley Avenue.

During the police investigation, two teen girls reported that they had had interactions with the man.

A pre-trial conference on the matter is scheduled to begin Oct. 3 in B.C. Supreme Court in Chilliwack.

Vir was believed to have been at the Abbotsford temple for about a year at the time of the sexual-offence charges. Police have said he was in Canada on a working visa and he spent time in Ontario before coming to Abbotsford.



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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