Nun rape case: Bishop moves Kerala HC for anticipatory bail Rlys to install CCTV cameras, wifi connections at its hospitals

KOCHI: A day ahead of his likely appearance before police, clergyman Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, Tuesday filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Kerala High Court claiming allegations against him were a “cooked up story to wreak vengeance”.

The Kerala High Court adjourned the hearing of the application for September 25 when it will hear the police version.

When the plea came up for the hearing before Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan this afternoon, the petitioner did not seek any interim relief to thwart his possible arrest.

Citing convention, legal experts said police may not arrest Mulakkal, who recently stepped aside as the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, since his anticipatory bail plea is pending before the high court.

However, police can still arrest him if it has sufficient evidence, they said.

Mulakkal filed the application this morning, claiming the allegations against him were a “cooked up story to wreak vengeance” and seeking prearrest bail.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala Police has asked him to appear before it Wednesday.

In his plea, the 54-year-old clergyman has claimed the accusations by the nun, serving in a congregation under the Jalandhar diocese, is “wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against her”.

Claiming innocence, the bishop said the complaint was “nothing but a fictional story”.

“The complaint is an afterthought and a vicious programme to bring down the applicant who is holding a very high post in the congregation,” the plea said.

It said the bishop is “absolutely innocent” and has been “falsely implicated” in the case with an “ulterior motive and vexatious intention”.

The plea alleged that the nun and her family members had warned Mulakkal of dire consequences if he continued to take adverse action against her.

There were threats that he will be manhandled if he sets his foot in Kerala, the petition alleged.

Noting that the public relations officer attached to the Bishop’s House in Jalandhar had submitted a complaint to the district police chief of Kottayam about the threat to the clergyman, the petition claimed it was only after that the nun filed a “false” complaint before the Kottayam SP on June 26.

Mulakkal alleged that the nun had an illicit relationship with a relative and a complaint about it was received by her congregation --the Missionaries of Jesus. NEW DELHI: Not just the railway stations and coaches, now the cleanliness and security at the railway hospitals will also be monitored through CCTV cameras and their premises will have wifi connections for better patient-care, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

The divisional as well as zonal railway hospitals have been given time till the end of this year to install CCTV cameras on a priority basis.

Goyal, who visited the Northern Railway Central Hospital on Monday, had conducted an extensive review of the healthcare system of the national transporter on August 29. In a set of instructions sent to the general managers of all the zones on September 14, the Railway Board has asked them to ensure that these systems are put in place.

There are a total of 125 railway hospitals in the country.

Wifi connection will be given to facilitate the doctors and patients to exchange medical records, provide ease in consultation, enable tele-video chat, conference with specialists.mpost