Bishop’s bail rejected, sent to 2- day custody

Custody needed for potency test, recover laptop, mobile phone, say cops

Kochi, Sept. 22: A Kerala court on Saturday rejected the bail application of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on charges of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun, and sent him to a two- day police custody.

The Bishop was brought to the Pala magistrate court around 1.15 pm amid tight security. His lawyers moved the application seeking relief, submitting that the clergyman was arrested after a three- day long interrogation by the probe team.

Opposing the plea, the police said his three- day custody was required to conduct his potency test and to recover the laptop, mobile phone and the dress used by the accused.

In its remand report submitted in the court, police said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex by the accused at the Guest House of St Francis Mission Home 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

They said his body fluid and DNA samples were required to be collected as part of the probe.

Recording the submissions, the magistrate granted two- day custody of the bishop to police till 2.30 pm on Monday.

The Bishop, who was arrested on Friday night, was later taken to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam and from there to the police club in the town for custodial interrogation.

The 54- year- old clergyman had complained of pain in his chest while being taken to Kottayam police club from the Crime Branch office at Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district on Friday night.

He was under observation in the cardiology section of the hospital for over six hours after his blood pressure shot up, official sources said.