Kerala priest convicted of rape seeks bail to marry victim

A Catholic priest in Kerala, who was convicted for raping and impregnating a minor girl, has expressed a desire to marry the victim, now 18, and take care of their child.

Priest Robin Vadakumcherry, who is in his mid-fifties, sought two-month bail to marry the girl. The bail application was submitted before the Kerala High Court recently. The police, however, was learnt to have opposed the bail plea maintaining that the wish to marry could be a ploy to get bail. The court is likely to consider the bail plea next week.

Vadakumcherry, who was a priest under the Mananthavady diocese in Wayanad, was convicted by a POCSO court in Kannur last year. Vadakumcherry, hailing from Kottiyoor in Kannur, has raped the victim belonging to his parish several times during 2016. The girl, who was only 16 at that time, got pregnant and delivered a child. Efforts were made to conceal the crime and Vadakumcherry was held just ahead of his bid to leave the country.

The public prosecutor of the rape case BP Saseendran said that the desire for marriage could be an attempt of the convict to get bail as his bail plea was earlier rejected.

Vadakumcherry had made such a desire during the trial of the case to escape conviction. Citing these, the police submitted a counter-report at the High Court, he said.