Sex-for-silence case: Two Kerala priest accused of allegedly raping, blackmailing woman surrender before a local court

After escaping the arrest for more than months, Kerala church two priests accused of raping and blackmailing a woman in the controversial sex-for-silence case has surrendered to a local court on Monday. The two accused surrendered after the Supreme Court rejected their anticipatory bail plea.

Two Malankara Orthodox Church priests were among the four accused of reportedly sexually assaulting a woman from Thiruvalla. Earlier, Kerala High Court rejected their anticipatory bail. They were told by the top court to first surrender before the local court and to surrender their mobile phones to the police and cooperate with the probe

One of the accused Fr Abraham Varghese alias Sony Varghese surrendered at the Thiruvalla Magistrate Court, while fourth accused Fr Jaise K George reportedly surrendered at the Kollam crime branch office. Two of the four Kerala priests are accused of raping and blackmailing a woman for several years.

The 34-year-old married woman has alleged that the priests uploaded videos on the internet and used them to blackmail her. According to her, she was in a relationship with a clergy student Sony Varghese in 1999. Later he went on to become a priest and forced her to continue their relationship even after getting married to two other individuals. The four preists are accused of sexually abusing the woman by using her confessional statement.