2nd Kerala priest taken into custody in rape case
Thiruvalla, July 13 : One of the four accused Kerala priests, Father Johnson V. Mathew, named in a sexual abuse case of a parishioner, was arrested from a place near here, said police on Friday.
This is the second arrest in the case where the husband of a woman accused five priests of sexually abusing his wife for a decade. While four priests have been arraigned as accused, Mathew has been charged not for rape, but "for outraging the modesty of a lady".
Mathew was taken into custody by the Kerala Crime Branch from a house in Kozhencherry. He is being interrogated at the Crime Branch office.
On Thursday the police arrested Father Job Mathew and he has been remanded to judicial custody.
On Friday, the police also searched the house of the first accused, Father Sony (Abraham) Varghese near here. However, they failed to get any lead about his whereabouts. Varghese along with another accused, Father Jaice K. George, are on the run.
Earlier on Friday, the Crime Branch issued a warning that no one should try to shield any of the accused. A few hours later Mathew was taken into custody.
The arrest of the accused priests became a certainty after the High Court in Kochi on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of three of them named in the complaint.
A woman who regularly visited the Malankara Orthodox Church had accused five priests of sexually abusing her for a decade. Her husband had complained that she came under the duress from at least five priests.
It was one priest in the beginning who first exploited his wife and then started blackmailing her.
When she sought help from another priest, he too threatened her and shared her contact with a fellow priest and she was eventually victimised by five of them.
The National Commission for Women is monitoring the case. One of the priests escaped action as the victim had mentioned only four names, the police officer said.
There have been reports that the two priests currently on the run will be approaching the Supreme Court for relief from arrest.
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CPI(M) rebel Kunhikrishnan hopes for 5,000-vote win in Payyanur
Kannur (Kerala) (PTI): CPI(M) rebel candidate V Kunhikrishnan, who contested as a UDF-backed Independent from Payyanur here, on Saturday said he was hoping to win the Assembly election by a margin of 5,000 votes.
Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the CPI(M) earlier this year after raising allegations of corruption in the party’s martyrs’ fund against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan.
Speaking to a TV channel, Kunhikrishnan said he had announced his candidature as a mark of protest and not with expectations of victory.
However, he said the situation had changed drastically, with a strong undercurrent within CPI(M) votes favouring him.
"The undercurrent in CPI(M) votes cannot be measured. Now people are giving a response indicating victory with a margin of at least 5,000 votes," he said.
Payyanur is considered a CPI(M) stronghold, and a defeat for Madhusoodanan there would be a major setback for the party.
On political violence in Payyanur, Kunhikrishnan said he had been facing it since filing his nomination.
"The people leading this violence should think about how long they can continue it. It is the police which has to take the initiative to stop this violence as part of maintaining law and order. But the police are not intervening at the required level," he said.
Regarding his political future, Kunhikrishnan said efforts were underway to strengthen Left groups, and discussions were being held across Kerala in that regard.
"After discussing with others, a decision will be taken," he said.
Kunhikrishnan is among six former CPI(M) leaders who either exited the party or were suspended before contesting for the UDF in the April 9 Assembly elections.
Elections to the 140-seat Kerala Assembly were held on April 9, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
