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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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
