The Supreme Court today cancelled the interim protection from arrest given to two clergymen, accused of sexually abusing a married woman, and asked them to surrender by August 13.
A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said the two priests were at liberty to seek regular bail once they surrendered.
The counsel for the women alleged that some videos were uploaded by the accused on the Internet and they used the same to blackmail her.
The court had earlier asked the state police to file a status report on the probe done so far into the sexual abuse case, involving four priests attached to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church.
On July 19, the two priests -- Father Sony Verghese and Father Jaise K George -- were granted protection from arrest by the top court till it pronounced a verdict on their anticipatory bail pleas.
The clergymen had moved the court seeking anticipatory bail in the case after their plea was rejected by the Kerala High Court on July 11.
Four priests attached to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church were accused of sexually abusing a 34-year-old married woman by using her confessional statement.
The court was earlier informed that two of the accused had surrendered, while two were before the court seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police had on July 2 registered a case against Father Varghese and three other priests on the basis of a statement given by the woman belonging to the same church who accused them of sexually assaulting her on many occasions.
"Unless It Defeats Ends Of Justice...": Supreme Court On Denying Bail To Juvenile J&K Poll Dates Going Past Top Court Deadline? Election Body Chief Responds From Early Laws To Arizona: How Abortion Laws Have Evolved In The US Over The Decades Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death Blinken Heading To Israel To Press Gaza Truce 'INDIA' Is with You Against "Injustice": Rahul Gandhi To Arvind Kejriwal "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.