KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of former vicar Fr Robin Vadakkumchery, who is the prime accused in a case related to the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Kottiyoor.
The HC directed the trial court to frame charges against Fr Vadakkumchery within 40 days and to complete the trial within six months.
According to the prosecution, the girl was subjected to rape inside the chapel.Just because the accused has been in custody for more than 18 months as an undertrial is no ground for granting bail since there is a high chance of influencing the victim and her family, who belong to the same denomination of the church, said the prosecution.This is a case wherein the victim had, in the first instance, falsely implicated her own father to save the actual culprit.
In fact, the petitioner tried to escape to Canada and he was nabbed due to the timely intervention of the police.And the petitioner is highly influential, senior government pleader Suman Chakravarthy submitted to the HC.Accepting the prosecution’s arguments, the court dismissed the bail application for the third time.