Rape-accused Priest Sent to Judicial Custody

Times of India
May 5, 2014

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Rape-accused-priest-sent-to-judicial-custody/articleshow/34699892.cms

KOCHI: Parish priest Raju Kokkan who was taken into custody from Tamil Nadu on charges of raping a minor girl was remanded in judicial custody on Monday.

Police brought the accused by road to Thrissur on Monday by 5 am and later produced him at the Irinjalakuda court around 10 am. The court remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days and he was later taken to Viyyur sub-jail.

The priest was taken into custody from Puthuppadi near Nagercoil by a police team from Ollur with the help of Thrissur shadow police. The accused had allegedly raped a 10-year-old girl, who was taking lessons for receiving the first Holy Communion at St Paul's Church, Thaikkattussery, where Kokkan worked as vicar. He has been accused of raping the girl, hailing from a poor family, by offering her costly Holy Communion vestments free of cost.