A second case has been registered against Father Cyprian Pinto, the parish priest of St Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia, Mangaluru, over allegations of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy, the Mangaluru City Police said on November 9.
According to a press release issued by the Mangaluru City Police, the Mangaluru Women Police Station registered the case based on a complaint alleging that Pinto (65) sexually assaulted the boy on May 13, 2026. The boy regularly attended Sunday prayers at St Sebastian Church in Permannur village.
The investigation into the second case has been handed over to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Central Sub-Division, Mangaluru City.
Pinto was earlier booked by the Mangaluru South Police Station on October 15 following a complaint alleging sexual harassment of a 14-year-old boy. He was arrested on October 17 and produced before a court on October 18. He was remanded to judicial custody until October 30 and subsequently released on bail.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Fast Track Special Court-I in Mangaluru granted Pinto bail on October 29. Judge KS Manu imposed conditions requiring him to cooperate with the investigation and refrain from tampering with evidence or intimidating witnesses.
The allegations against Pinto first came to light after five boys and their parents reportedly approached Mangalore Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha on August 17. The children had each written letters detailing the alleged abuse.
The bishop had been informed about the allegations nearly two months before the police registered an FIR. The bishop had reportedly ordered an internal inquiry conducted by the diocesan Judicial Vicar Naveen Pinto and another priest, Melwyn Peres.
A community member previously told TNM that the inquiry lasted around two weeks, with the children and their parents being summoned individually or in small groups. The inquiry report was reportedly sent to the Vatican, although TNM could not independently confirm this.
The Karnataka Directorate of Child Protection had also written to the Dakshina Kannada District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) on August 31, directing it to enquire into the allegations. The DCPU subsequently wrote to the Mangaluru South police on September 2, seeking an investigation.
The October 15 FIR followed a complaint by one of the boys. Although five boys had initially approached the bishop, only one had formally deposed before the police.
TNM has previously reported that activists and community members had alleged attempts to intimidate the families of the five boys and dissuade them from pursuing the case.
A delegation of community members met Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy on October 30 and submitted a complaint accusing Ronald Rodrigues, vice-president of St Vincent Ferrer Church, of intimidating the children and their families.
One community member alleged that the parents were being warned that their children would have to repeatedly visit police stations and courts, that their studies would be affected and that their identities could be exposed. The complaint also alleged that Rodrigues had contacted the mother of the boy whose complaint led to the October 15 FIR and pressured her not to approach the police.
Activist Stanly KV of Mysuru-based Odanadi Seva Samsthe also wrote to the Karnataka High Court's Juvenile Justice Committee, alleging that four other children who were prepared to file complaints had been intimidated, causing them and their parents to hesitate.
The complaint further alleged that some children were questioned by the police without first being referred to the Child Welfare Committee for counselling. The office of the High Court's Juvenile Justice Committee confirmed that it had received the complaint.
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