Kochi, Jul 10 (NIE): A rape case against a priest belonging to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has been filed in Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district of Kerala. The complainant, a married woman of two children, alleges that the priest in question, Binu George who was in the Mavelikara diocese of the church at the time, raped her inside the church office in Koipally in 2014 after calling her to solve a family matter. “They spoke for about half-an-hour regarding the family dispute. Then he closed doors and sexually assaulted her,” said a crime branch officer in charge of the investigation.

Police say that the victim approached the church after the incident to post a formal complaint against the priest. After several consultations, he was reportedly transferred to another church in Ranni in another district. But the priest reportedly continued harassing the victim by sending her lewd messages and spreading rumours about her, said the officer.

A case of rape under section 376 (2f) of the IPC has been charged against Fr George and will be investigated by the crime branch of the Kerala Police. It is not clear whether the accused priest is still based in Ranni. The case comes just weeks after another married woman accused four priests belonging to different dioceses of the Orthodox church in Kerala for blackmailing her over a ‘confession’ she made in church and sexually assaulting her over the years. The priests have been booked for rape by the crime branch. The woman’s husband, in an interview to the Indian Express, said he wants the accused priests to be defrocked so that they are made an example of before the community.