Three of the five Catholic nuns named as accused in the case pertaining to the rape of a 16-year-old girl by 48-year-old Syro-Malabar Catholic priest in Kottiyoor, Kannur, on Monday applied for anticipatory bail even as the Kerala Police probing the incident approached the court for getting the rapist priest, Fr Robin Vadakkumchery, in their custody. The rape victim had given birth to baby boy on February 7 at a Church-run hospital.
The three nuns who applied for bail were Sr Dr Tessy Jose, gynecologist of the Christu Raj Hospital at Thokkilangadi, Kannur where the minor girl had delivered her baby, Sr Ancy Mathew, the hospital’s administrator, and Sr Ophelia, head of the Holy Infant Mary’s Girls’ Home at Vythiri in Wayanad district to where the newborn baby was shifted from the hospital.
The police probing the scandal on Monday approached the Additional Sessions Court 1 at Thalassery for getting Fr Robin, first accused, in their custody for further investigations. The police, who want to recover the disgraced priest’s passport, to question him further and to take him for evidence-collection, have sought permission to keep him in custody for four days.
Robin had allegedly sexually abused the 16-year-old girl, a Plus 1 student of a Church-run school at Kottiyoor where he was the manager, several times at the parsonage of the St Sebastian’s Parish Church in Kottiyoor where he was Vicar. The Syro-Malabar Church has already stripped him of all rights to perform priestly duties.
The Peravur Police from Kannur had taken Robin into custody from Chalakudy in Thrissur district on February 27 as he was on his way to Kochi airport to flee for Canada. Robin is said o have made several trips to Canada the past. A Thalassery court on February 28 remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days and he is presently lodged at the Sub-Jail, Thalassery.
The Christu Raj Hospital and Vythiri girls’ home had allegedly tried to protect Robin and through that the Catholic Church by keeping the entire rape scandal under wraps. The police now think that the staff of the hospital and the Vythiri orphanage had been acting under orders from some hitherto-unknown influential persons.
At the same time, the police many name as accused Fr Thomas Joseph Therakam and Sr Betty Jose, respectively chairman and member of the Wayanad district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) who had approved the adoption of the baby by the Vythiri facility on the basis of forged documents. The Mananthawady Diocese had on Sunday sacked Fr Therakam as its spokesman.
Being CWC authorities, Fr Therakam and Sr Betty have been enjoying special status and the police may book them and take them into custody once the Government takes a decision to remove them from their positions. The police on Monday intensified their search for the priest and nun considering the possibility that they might approach the court for anticipatory bail.
However, legal experts are of the opinion that none of the accused may get bail since relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act have been slapped on them. In this context, police have placed all major courts in Kannur and Wayanad under surveillance considering the possibility that the accused may surrender before Judiciary anytime now.
The police have received indications that more nuns could have been involved in destruction of evidences in the case. Sources said nuns Sr liz Maria and Sr Aneetta of the Christu Dasi Convent at Thonichal, respectively sixth and seventh accused, could not have taken the baby to the Vythiri orphanage without the knowledge of their superiors.
The other person whom the police have named as accused in the case is Thankamma, member of the Mathru Vedi panel of the parish church where Robin was Vicar. The police have also learned that the air ticket and other documents needed for Robin’s foiled trip to Canada were arranged by another priest who was an associate in Robin’s earlier illegal activities.