A special team of the Coimbatore City Police apprehended John Jebaraj, a 37-year-old pastor of Kings Generation Church on Cross Cut Road, late Saturday, April 12, in Munnar, Kerala.

Jebaraj, accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls, was brought to Coimbatore early Sunday and remanded in judicial custody until April 25 after appearing before a judge.

The allegations stem from an incident on May 21, 2024, when Jebaraj allegedly assaulted two girls, aged 17 and 14, during a party at his Coimbatore residence. Following a complaint lodged by one of the survivors at the All Women Police Station, Coimbatore Central, a week ago, Jebaraj was charged under Sections 9(l)(m) (aggravated sexual assault) and 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Jebaraj had been evading arrest for nearly a week, prompting City Police Commissioner A. Saravana Sundar to form three special teams led by Assistant Commissioner T.H. Ganesh to track him down.

A lookout notice was also issued to prevent him from fleeing the country. Acting on credible intelligence, a team headed by Inspector R. Arjun Kumar located Jebaraj in Munnar, Idukki district, and took him into custody.

Known for his Christian devotional songs and live performances, Jebaraj, associated with Levi Ministries, has a significant social media following. The 37-year-old pastor arrested for the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls, is a prominent figure in gospel music and ministry, boasting a substantial online following across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

His Kings Generation Church on Cross Cut Road in Coimbatore also enjoys an active social media presence, regularly posting updates, event highlights, and snippets of services to engage its community.

A fresh political storm has gripped Tamil Nadu after the announcement of a renewed alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.

Reacting sharply to the development, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accused the AIADMK of aligning with the BJP out of fear, suggesting the move was motivated by concerns over possible Enforcement Directorate (ED) action.

The BJP swiftly countered the criticism, asserting that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would be ousted from power in the next election cycle. Party leaders claimed the people of Tamil Nadu were ready for a change in leadership.

Meanwhile, TVK Chief Vijay expressed skepticism over the significance of the BJP-AIADMK tie-up, calling it merely an “eye wash.” He asserted that the real electoral contest in 2026 would be between his party and the DMK, effectively downplaying the relevance of the newly announced alliance.

As political narratives begin to shape the lead-up to the 2026 elections, the BJP-AIADMK coalition has already stirred strong responses across party lines, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle in the state.

With the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission reportedly recommending increasing the reservation for other backward classes in its Socio-Economic and Educational Survey report, the Siddaramaiah government may lob the ball into the Centre’s court, as a constitutional amendment is required with the total quota exceeding 50%.

The state cabinet is likely to decide on this when it meets on April 17 and could set up a cabinet sub-committee to look into the issue.

The commission, headed by K Jayaprakash Hegde, which submitted its report to the government, has recommended the restructuring of the quota to one that is proportional to the population, considering the backwardness within the communities.

For the Muslim community, it has been proposed to hike the quota from the present 4% to 8% under 2B. It has also recommended increasing reservations for economically weaker sections among the Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities.

While recommending increasing the OBC quota from 32% to 51%, it has proposed increasing the quota from 3% to 7% for Vokkaligas and sub-sects under 3A and from 4% to 8% for Lingayats and sub-sects under 3B.

It has proposed a 6% hike under 1A for backward castes which are under Category I, 12% under 1B for certain castes under Categories I and II and 10% to some under Category II, sources said.