INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
the interim protection from arrest given to two clergymen, accused of sexually abusing a married woman, and asked them to surrender 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
surrendered.The counsel for the women alleged that some videos were uploaded by the accused on the Internet and they used the same to
blackmail her.The court had earlier asked the state police to file a status report on the probe done so far into the sexual abuse case,
involving four priests attached to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church.On July 19, the two priests -- Father Sony Verghese and Father Jaise
K George -- were granted protection from arrest by the top court till it pronounced a verdict on their anticipatory bail pleas.The clergymen
had moved the court seeking anticipatory bail in the case after their plea was rejected by the Kerala High Court on July 11.Four priests
attached to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church were accused of sexually abusing a 34-year-old married woman by using her confessional
statement.The court was earlier informed that two of the accused had surrendered, while two were before the court seeking anticipatory bail
in the case.The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police had on July 2 registered a case against Father Varghese and three other priests on the
basis of a statement given by the woman belonging to the same church who accused them of sexually assaulting her on many occasions.
