The Kerala High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail petitions of three priests of a church accused of raping a woman, ruling that the charges against them were serious and the relief, if granted at an early stage of investigation, will adversely affect its progress.

The priests--Abraham Varghese alias Sony, Job Mathew and Jaise K George-- had approached the court soon after the crime branch of Kerala Police slapped rape charges against four of the five Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church priests, who were accused of sexually exploiting the victim.