When Fr Robin Vadakkumcherry was presented before a court. Photo: ANI via TwitterKannur: Days after a 16-year-old girl gave birth to a baby boy, a church vicar was Tuesday arrested for raping the minor. Fr Robin Vadakkumcherry, the arrested, was also removed from office by the church authorities.
The priest was remanded to judicial custody by Thalassery Sessions Court for two weeks. He has been sent to the special sub-jail in Kannur.
The alleged offense came to light after the girl, a resident of Neendunokki in the district, gave birth to a baby boy at a private hospital in Koothuparamba on February 7.
Based on information from Childline, an NGO, the police conducted an inquiry into the incident.
'Girl did not know she was pregnant'
The girl, a Plus One student, had attended classes on February 6, a day before she gave birth to the baby boy, police sources said. Fr Robin was the manager of the school.
"Neither the minor nor her parents were aware that she was pregnant," the sources told PTI.
Vadakkumcherry was taken into custody Monday night when he was reportedly getting ready to slip out of the country.
The police official leading the probe told media that the crime has been done by a person who is duty bound to protect children and give them the right perspective on life.
"And when someone like that becomes an accused, the charges will be very strong," the police official added.
Attempts to hide crime
The girl was taken to a hospital after she complained of stomach pain and the doctors found out that she was pregnant.
She was then taken to a hospital run by the church where she gave birth to the baby boy.
The newborn was shifted to an orphanage without informing his mother, the sources said, adding that the girl was told that she had undergone an appendicitis operation.
To ensure that the culprit's name was not revealed, her family was allegedly forced to name two others, including her father, for sexually exploiting her, the police said.
However, the police questioned the girl and her father and subsequently, they named Fr Robin, the vicar of St Sebastian's church, Kottiyoor, as the accused.
Fr Robin had attended a public program on February 25 and left the place the next day, after the police lodged a case against him under section 376, IPC (punishment for rape) and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
He was picked up from Chalakudy in Thrissur district Monday night and brought to Kannur.
Hospital under scanner
The newborn was shifted from an orphanage at Vythiri in Wayanad district to a government-run orphanage in Kannur.
Police are now probing the role of the hospital where the girl delivered the baby if they followed all the necessary documentary procedures.
However, the hospital authorities said Tuesday that they were told by the girl's parents that she was of 18 years of age when she was getting admitted.
Fr Robin removed from all posts
Meanwhile, Mananthavady bishop Jose Porunnedom removed Robin from the office of the vicar of the parish with immediate effect as per the Canon law.
He has also been suspended from exercising his priestly ministry, including the celebration of the Holy Sacraments and preaching in public, either inside or outside the diocese, a release from the Mananthavady Bishop's House said.
"The suspension and prohibition will remain in force until the accused has undergone the prescribed legal procedures in this regard and declared innocent," it added.
Reacting to the incident, the Syro Malabar Church spokesperson said, "It is an unfortunate incident. The church has suspended him and removed him from all posts."
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) said that it welcomes any kind of investigation into the incident. Demanding that all the culprits should be punished in the case, the council said that it will not support any attempt to destroy the evidence in the case.
