A priest at a temple was arrested for allegedly raping a 45-year-old woman after calling her to his room on the pretext of performing a special puja, police said on Thursday

The accused, K Rama Rao alias Ramu, (26), who yesterday noticed the woman crying at the temple in Vittalwadi area here, told her that he will perform a special puja to enable her to get rid of her problems.

He asked her to bring turmeric and five lemons, Narayanguda police station Inspector S Bheem Reddy said.

"The accused asked the woman to come to his room near the temple on the pretext of performing special puja and accordingly she went there with the material, but he allegedly raped her," Reddy said based on a complaint of the victim.

Following the complaint by the woman, a case on charges of rape, wrongful confinement and cheating under relevant sections of IPC was registered and the accused was arrested.

He will be produced in court on Thurday, he said.

The woman has been sent for medical examination, he said, adding that a probe is on into the incident.