Kozhikode woman accuses parish priest of making sexual advances

The News Minute
November 15, 2016

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kozhikode-woman-accuses-parish-priest-making-sexual-advances-52905

A woman central government employee of Kozhikode alleged in a press meet conducted on Monday that a parish priest was making sexual advances towards her through email and chat.

The woman said that she had contacted Nadakavu St Mary's English Church parish priest Jain TA in August to conduct prayers for her daughter’s birthday. “He offered special prayer and I thanked him. But he did not stop there; instead he continued chatting with me even though I tried to avoid it. Slowly he started crossing the limit and I warned him many times. It was a real shocker for me to expect such behaviour from a parish priest,“ she said in the press meet with tears, The Times of India reports.

The complainant said that though she approached the Malabar diocese of Church of South India under which this particular parish comes, the diocese authorities tried to protect the priest.

She alleged that the secretary of the Bishop asked her to move out of St Mary's Church instead of taking action against the priest. “The clergy secretary of the bishop told me “there are so many other churches in Kozhikode” she said.

The complainant, a widow working in Calcutta, later approached the Bishop with the copies of emails and chat. Though the Bishop promised her justice and transferred the priest to Nilambur, he was back at Nadakkavu within one month.  

“Though I did not object to the bishop's decision, I wanted them to ask my consent before reversing his transfer. Instead of listening to my grievances, the clergy secretary of the bishop challenged me to take the legal route. This forced me to approach the district police chief with the help of Anweshi Women Counselling Centre,” said the woman as reported by ToI.

Nadakkavu police have registered a case and have charged the priest under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.