Kerala rape: Priest and nuns surrender, get bail

A CATHOLIC priest and two nuns who are listed as accused in the case of a minor’s alleged rape by a priest surrendered before police on Friday. They were granted bail later.

Priest Fr Thomas Therakam, who surrendered before the investigating officer in Kannur, had been the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee in Wayanad district.

Therakam belongs to Mananthavady, the home diocese of the accused priest, Robin Vadakkumcheril.

Of the nuns who surrendered before police, Sister Ophelia is the administrator of the Holy Infant Mary Adoption Centre in Wayanad where the baby boy born to the rape victim was illegally housed.

The other nun, Betty Jose, is a member of the Child Welfare Committee in Wayanad.

The trio had earlier moved the high court for anticipatory bail but the court directed them to surrender before the investigating officer in Kannur, where the offence was registered.

Police have found that the Wayanad Child Welfare Committeeandtheadoptioncentrehadviolatedtheproceduresin handlingtherapevictim’sbabyin a manner to cover up the crime involving the Catholic priest.

Instead of handing over the baby to an adoption centre in Kannur, the accused priest Vadakkumcheril shifted the baby to Wayanad, where his colleague Fr Therakam was the Child Welfare Committee chairman.

Four more nuns, a Catholic woman and a paediatrician are named as accused.