New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant anticipatory bail to two priests, accused of sexually abusing a married woman in the Kerala church sex scandal, and asked them to surrender before police by August 13. A bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said the two priests were at liberty to seek regular bail once they have surrendered.
The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police had on July 2 registered a case against four priests on the basis of a statement given by a woman belonging to the same church who has accused them of sexually assaulting her on many occasions. The four priests attached to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church were accused of sexually abusing the 34-year-old married woman by allegedly using her confessional statement.
While two of them surrendered, two others — Father Sony Verghese and Father Jaise K George —had approached the apex court for anticipatory bail after their plea was rejected by the Kerala High Court on July 11. During hearing, senior advocate V Giri, appearing for Kerala police said no interrogation has taken place so far of the two priests.
