Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal reduced allowance to Rs 500, says dead priest’s brother

Kurian’s complaint stated that Kattuthara’s monthly compensation was reduced to Rs 500, allegedly at the behest of Mulakkal, and that he was divested of all powers despite being the seniormost priest in the church.

James Ullatin, the main priest of St Mary’s Catholic Church, where Kattuthara was posted as an assistant priest three months ago, said there was no monthly salary but they got Rs 5,000 per month from the Jalandhar Diocese for personal expenditure.

Mulakkal headed the diocese before he stepped aside last month.

Kurian reached Dasuya from Kerala on Tuesday and went to his brother’s residence before reaching the Civil Hospital, where the body was kept for postmortem.

“My brother discussed several times that he was under pressure, and was being tortured by Bishop Franco and his people,” Kurian’s complaint stated. “My brother was the first to speak against Bishop Franco through (Malayalam news outlet) Mathrubhumi channel. Since then, he was being threatened by the bishop and his people. His own parish members had started to turn against him, as the bishop had directed them.”

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC, which allows them to inquire into a case of suicide or death under suspicious circumstances.

Kattuthara was found dead in his room on the premises of St Paul Convent School at Dasuya, Hoshiarpur. He was the prosecution witness against Mulakkal, who was arrested in Kerala last month on a complaint of rape and multiple sexual assaults filed by a nun. Mulakkal has denied the allegations.

James Ullatin said Kattuthara, with whom he shared the four-room residence, had high blood pressure and diabetes. During his last medical check-up on October 9, his blood sugar was found beyond the 500-mark. He said, “Father Kuriakose disliked the policies of Bishop Franco.”

Meanwhile, Dr Devinder Puri, senior medical officer at Civil Hospital, said that the postmortem was conducted Tuesday by a board of four doctors: Dr Shailandera (ENT specialist), Dr Jaswinder (forensic science expert), Dr Kulwinder (medicine) and Dr Harshpreet Kaur (pathologist). He said the postmortem was videographed and no internal and external mark of the injury was found. Dr Puri said the cause of death will be known after the viscera report comes.

On Tuesday evening, Kattuthara’s body was brought to Jalandhar’s St Mary’s Cathedral Church, where a large number of people paid tribute. Kattuthara’s family members later took the body to Delhi, and it will be flown to Kerala on Wednesday, and buried on Thursday.