Nuns seek Jalandhar bishop’s arrest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of nuns took to the streets in Kerala’s Kochi on Saturday protesting the delay in action against Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal who is accused of sexually exploiting a nun. Holding placards and banners, the nuns, along with activists, staged a sit-in at the High Court Junction in the city, saying they had been denied justice by church authorities and police.

This is the first time nuns are coming out in the open against church authorities and police. “More than 70 days have passed since the nun filed a police complaint against the bishop. We have given clinching evidence also. It seems police are reluctant to take action due to pressure. The church and police both let us down. Now, we pin our hopes on the judiciary,” said a nun who did not want to be named.

She accused the police of delaying action by finding loopholes in the complaint and called the Kerala police team’s visit to Jalandhar a drama. She added that the nuns were planning to move a petition in the Kerala high court on Monday. The 43-year-old victim nun will hold a press conference in Kottayam on Sunday.

In her complaint, she had alleged that the bishop had sexually abused her after summoning her on the pretext of discussing an important issue in 2014. He, later, raped her 13 times in the next two years.

However, the bishop has maintained that he was implicated for taking action against her. Hailing from Kottayam, he was appointed the Auxillory Bishop of Delhi diocese in 2009 and made the Bishop of Jalandhar in 2013. The nun complained to the church last December, but filed a police complaint in July after it failed to take action. Veteran Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan said authorities should take steps to redress grievances of agitating nuns. Many activists and church insiders have pledged support to the agitating nuns.