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.
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.
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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.