COURT REJECTS DISCHARGE PLEA OF FRANCO

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Kottayam court on Monday dismissed a discharge petition filed by deposed Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of sexually assaulting a nun. Judge G Gopakumar observed that all charges against him stand and asked him to appear for the trial. Mulakkal, who was arrested in September 2018, had moved the court on January 25, claiming that he was framed after he took action against her for financial irregularities.

The court has also rejected his argument that prosecution witnesses were not trustworthy and there was no evidence against him to be implicated.

Five nuns, who moved the court against Mulakkal, said they have immense faith in the judiciary.

“We are sure truth will prevail,” said sister Anupama, who led a sit-in protest seeking action against the deposed bishop in Kochi. Mulakkal had filed two other petitions. He had sought a ban on the media from reporting the case and also filed a contempt plea against the prosecution for publishing records under the court’s consideration.

Both the pleas will be taken up on the next date of hearing on March 24. Earlier, the nuns had alleged that Mulakkal was filing a barrage of petitions to delay the trial and many witnesses were threatened by his supporters.

Witness number 14, a nun (36), had recorded her statement with the police last year, accusing Mulakkal of sexually harassing her.

However, the police didn’t file a separate case against him after the nun insisted that she was not willing to press her charges. However, her statement was leaked to the media by Save our Sister Forum, an organisation which is fighting for reforms.