KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday granted conditional bail to Christian priest Fr. Johnson V Mathew, arrested for allegedly abusing a woman sexually at Pathanamthitta district.

The court directed the priest, third accused in the case, to surrender his passport to the investigation team, report to the police twice a week, not to enter the limits of the police station where the victim resides. The second accused in the case, Job Mathew, is likely to seek bail from high court soon.

A Tiruvalla court in Pathanamthitta had recently rejected the bail plea of the two priests.

Two other priests (first and fourth accused), accused in the case, have moved the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail. The first and fourth accused have moved supreme court seeking anticipatory bail.

The incident came to light after an audio clip of the purported conversation of the victim’s husband with a church official about the alleged sexual assault of his wife by the priests was circulated on social media.