Minor girl's rape by priest: Nun moves HC for bail

By Mahir Haneef
Times of India
March 7, 2017

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/minor-girls-rape-by-priest-nun-moves-hc-for-bail/articleshow/57523009.cms

KOCHI: A nun, who has been named as accused in a rape case involving a minor girl by a priest at Kottiyoor in Kannur, has approached the Kerala high court seeking anticipatory bail.

The pre-arrest bail plea was filed by sister Ophilia, who was the superintendent of the orphanage. She and four other nuns are accused of trying to cover up the crime and have been charged with offences under provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The girl, a plus one student, had given birth to a child at Christuraj Hospital at Koothuparamba.

After the delivery, the child was taken to orphanage where the petitioner was the superintendent. Sister Ophilia is the eighth accused in the case and is accused of not informing the child welfare committee about receiving the child. In the petition to the high court, the nun said she has nothing to hide and that she had recorded receiving of the child in the register maintained at the orphanage.

When the anticipatory bail plea of the nun came up for admission hearing on Tuesday, a single bench of the high court recused from the case. The case has been postponed to March 10 to be considered by another bench. The nun's counsel demanded a directive to the police not to make an arrest until the petition is considered by another bench. However, the court did not give such an assurance and instead asked prosecution to inform its views at the next hearing.