Kerala nun rape case HIGHLIGHTS: Accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal arrested, to be produced before magistrate court tomorrow

Kerala nun rape case HIGHLIGHTS: Mulakkal has been accused of repeated rape and sexual assault by a nun of his own congregation, but he has denied the allegations.

By: Express Web Desk
New Delhi | Updated: September 22, 2018 08:44 AM IST

Kerala nun rape case LIVE: Accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal arrested

Kerala nun rape case HIGHLIGHTS: Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal in police custody.

The Kerala Police Friday arrested Roman Catholic priest Franco Mulakkal after interrogating him for three consecutive days over rape allegations levelled by a nun against him. He was arrested at 8 pm and has been taken for medical examination.

“The investigating officer in the nun rape case has found that the bishop has committed the crime,” Kottayam Superintendent of Police Hari Sankar told journalists. Mulakkal will be produced before a magistrate court tomorrow morning.

Story continues below this ad

The latest development comes a day after the Vatican relieved Mulakkal of the administrative responsibilities of Jalandhar diocese of Missionaries of Jesus. An official communication from Apostolic Nunciature in Delhi said the Pope had received a letter from Mulakkal offering to “step aside temporarily” from the administrative job of the diocese. Read in MALAYALAM

Live Blog

Track the HIGHLIGHTS on Kerala nun rape case

22:27 (IST)21 Sep 2018

Have full confidence in judicial system: Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

21:27 (IST)21 Sep 2018

Bishop Franco Mulakkal arrested, to be produced before magistrate court tomorrow

Kottayam SP Hari Sankar has confirmed Bishop France Mulakkal's arrest. "On basis of the evidence collected so far and interrogation that continued for 3 days, we have arrested Bishop Frankkol at 8 pm today. Subsequent investigation will continue. He will be produced before a magistrate court tomorrow morning," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

20:07 (IST)21 Sep 2018

Bishop's arrest is yet to be recorded: Kottayam SP

Kottayam SP said Bishop's arrest is yet to be recorded, adding that the charges mentioned in the FIR have been found to be true by the investigating officer. When probed if that includes rape, he said yes.

19:45 (IST)21 Sep 2018

Police is on standby in case the arrest is recorded later tonight

Refuting allegations against him, Mulakkal had earlier said that a “conspiracy” has been hatched by a group of people who are against the church. He also accused the nun of lying as he had ordered action against her in the past. “The nun is lying, made up the case against me because I had ordered action against her. Police have no evidence against me that’s why they have not arrested me,” said Mulakkal.

"Investigation is going in the right direction. The government is with the victim. The government is with the nuns staging the protest. Certainly, the government will take all necessary steps to identify the culprits and bring the guilty to book," senior Kerala Minister E P Jayarajan had told PTI. On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court had agreed to hear Mulakkal’s anticipatory bail plea on September 25. The court also asked the state government to file an affidavit.

In June, the nun from the Missionaries of Jesus made a police complaint against the congregation’s patron bishop Mulakkal, of raping her and subjecting her to unnatural sex on multiple occasions over two years since May 2014. A case was registered by the Kottayam police on June 28.

The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram