SC declines bail plea of rape accused Kerala Catholic priests

New Delhi, Aug 7: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the two Catholic Priests in Kerala accused in a rape and sexual abuse case. The priests belonged to Malankara Orthodox Church in the state.

According to the ucanews.com, a woman of Malankara Orthodox Church has accused the five priests of sexually abusing her for a decade.

Declining the plea of the two priests the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice A K Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan asked both of them to surrender to the police by August 13 and move the trial court for regular bail.

Justice Sikri said: “This is not a fit case for anticipatory bail.”

The apex court directed the trial court to take up for hearing the plea for regular bail on the same day when it was moved.

In the last hearing on July 26, the top court had sought the status report of police investigation in the case.

The two priests had moved the apex court seeking anticipatory bail.

Sony (Abraham) Varghese and Father Jaice K. George had approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Kerala High Court which had denied anticipatory bail to three priests, including them.

A woman, who regularly visited the Malankara Orthodox Church, has accused five priests of sexually abusing her for a decade. The allegedly used her confession to blackmail her and submit her to their abuse.

Initially, it was only one priest who first exploited the woman. When she sought help from another priest, he too threatened her and shared her contact with a fellow priest and she was eventually victimized by five of them.

One priest, however, escaped action as the victim mentioned only four names.