Shivamogga: A 49-year-old pastor has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl who was studying in a pre-university college attached to a city church, police said on Friday.

A case has been registered at the ‘Kote’ (fort) police station here under Section 3 of POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) and Section 8 and 12 of SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2016, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Shivamogga district Balaraju said.

The pastor, who is also principal of the college and hails from the same district, is now in judicial custody, Balaraju said.