The Kerala Police chief on Friday ordered a Crime Branch probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of a woman by five priests of the Kottayam-headquartered Malankara Orthodox Church.

Director General of Police Loknath Behra directed the Crime Branch wing to probe into the allegations made by the victim’s husband, who belongs to the same church.

Earlier, the Church had announced an internal probe into the matter. The Kottayam-based church had earlier said that a “clear, impartial” probe has been ordered after a man alleged some priests blackmailed and sexually abused his wife.

The issue came to light last week after an audio clip containing the man’s purported conversation with a church official alleging sexual abuse of his wife by the priests was widely circulated on social media.

The man from Pathanamthitta district alleged that some priests allegedly used his wife’s secret confession to blackmail her.

The husband has said one of the priests who first exploited his wife was blackmailing her. When she sought help from another priest, he too, threatened her and shared her contact with another fellow priest and, in the end, she came under the duress from at least five priests.

Although the church hierarchy preferred the matter be dealt with surreptitiously, trouble started when the National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance and wrote to Behra directing him to investigate the matter.

Later, former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan also wrote to Behra saying it was unfair that the Church was conducting the probe, as it would not be a “fair and free” investigation. Instead the police should probe such a case, Achuthanandan said.

The victim, however, has not yet registered a complaint with any police station.

Although the man, who came to know about the alleged sexual abuse and blackmailing by priests after checking his wife’s e-mail account, has levelled allegations against eight priests, he has reportedly named only five priests as the role of three others in the incident could not be established.

The Crime Branch will first conduct a preliminary probe on the veracity of the various news reports and will then probe whether the allegations are true, an informed source said.

(With agency inputs)