A survivor in a rape case in which a priest under the Thamarassery diocese is arraigned as accused has submitted before the Kerala High Court that despite lodging a sexual assault complaint against the priest with the Thamarassery bishop, no action had been taken.
In a petition seeking to implead her in a bail petition filed by Fr. Manoj Plakoottathil, she said in fact she had filed a complaint on June 23, 2017. However, there had been no action. So, she had lodged a complaint with the Chevayur police.
The case
The police case was that the accused allegedly went to the residence of the 46-year-old woman on June 15, 2017 and raped her when she was alone in the house.
Fr. Plakoottathil was then the vicar of Chevayur Nithyasahaya Matha Church. The priest had been charged with the offences under Sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Opposing the anticipatory bail plea of the priest, the survivor pointed out that the priest had threatened her that if she disclosed it to anyone she would be socially ostracised. The petitioner feared that there was a possibility of the investigation being sabotaged due to the influence of the accused.
When the petition came up for hearing, counsel for the accused submitted that he was falsely implicated in the crime. He further said that survivor had made repeated calls to the priest.
The court adjourned the case to to December 19.
