Kerala Church Sex Scandal: SC Stays Arrest Of Two Accused Priests Till Thursday

The Supreme Court today deferred till Thursday the hearing on anticipatory bail plea of Father Soni Abraham Varghese and Father Jaise K George in connection with the sex scandal case involving Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala.

A Bench of Justice A K Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan meanwhile directed that no action shall be taken against the two till Thursday.

"We are not saying anything. But since the matter has come here do not do anything for one day", Justice Sikri told senior advocate V Giri who appeared for State of Kerala.

"It seems it is a lengthy matter.We cannot hear today as Justice Bhushan has to go somewhere at 1 pm. We will take it up day after", Justice Sikri said.

The crime branch on July 2 registered a case against Father Varghese and three other priests on the basis of statements given by a woman belonging to the same Church accusing them of sexually assaulting her on many occasions.

The Kerala high court had earlier dismissed his plea and ordered them to surrender forthwith.

Fathers Job Mathew, Abraham Vargheese and Jaise K George had been charged with sections for sexual abuse and threatening.

Dismissing their bail pleas, Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan of the High  Court had said “serious allegations had been raised against the accused. If anticipatory bail was granted at this stage, it would adversely affect the investigation, which was at a preliminary stage”

The woman has alleged that all the four priests had misused her confessions to sexually exploit her.

The probe agency has already arrested two of the accused.