Mayookha's friend's rape case: Kerala HC dismisses anticipatory bail plea of accused

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of the man accused of raping the friend of Olympian Mayookha Johny and taking the victim's nude photographs to blackmail her and said if required, he will have to surrender before the police.

"Bail dismissed. You will have to surrender," Justice Shircy V said. The accused had contended that the rape complaint was filed five years after the alleged incident occurred - in July 2016 - and claimed it was a blowback of differences between two factions of the Emperor Emmanuel Church. The prosecution, on August 2, had vehemently opposed the plea of the accused on the ground that his custodial interrogation was required and his phone was also to be recovered.

The accused - C C Jhonson - had also claimed that he and the victim were part of this church and the rape complaint was filed after he left the church.

Johny had held a press conference in June, levelling serious allegations against the Kerala police and a former official of the state women's commission in connection with the investigation into the case of rape of her friend in 2016.

Johny had alleged that her friend was raped by Johnson, who took nude photos of her and used them to blackmail the victim. She had also alleged that her friend was being threatened. She had alleged that police, after initially promising action, became inactive due to intervention of highly influential persons in favour of the accused.

The police had earlier told the court that the probe was only recently handed over to the Crime Branch on July 5 on the orders of the state police chief.