Nun rape case: Court frames charges against Franco Mulakkal
CLOSING IN Can leave state but will have to appear when required
KOTTAYAM(KERALA): A court here on Thursday framed charges against former bishop of Jalandhar Diocese, Franco Mulakkal, in the case relating to rape of a nun in Kerala.
The additional sessions court judge read out to Mulakkal, who was present in the court, the charges under various sections of the IPC, including the punishment for offence for rape as it commenced trial proceedings in the sensational case.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The additional sessions court in Kottayam in Kerala on Thursday framed charges against former Bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mulakkal who has been accused by a nun of his congregation of sexually abusing her several times.
The judge read out charges against him including rape, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement and insulting modesty of a woman, but Mulakkal denied all charges. After formally framing charges, the court posted the case for September 16. Initially, the petitioner will be examined by the court, followed by witnesses. Surrendered before the court last week, the court allowed Mulakkal to leave the state. But he was strictly asked to appear before it as and when required.
The court had cancelled his bail last month when he repeatedly failed to appear before it. Later, he moved the high court and Supreme Court but both refused to entertain his plea to stay the case. After this, he surrendered in trial court in Kottyam which asked him not to leave the state till the charge sheet is read out.
On two occasions, he skipped the court saying he was staying in a containment zone in Jalandhar and later he said he was tested positive for the virus. But the prosecution had questioned the veracity of both these claims.
The case surfaced in 2018 after a 43-year-old nun had complained to the police in Kottayam that Mulakkal had raped her several times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab. But Mulakkal denied it saying he was implicated after he took action against her for financial irregularities in the convent.
Later, a special investigation team was formed and it arrested him in September 2018. He was granted bail after spending 40 days in jail. He was removed from the post of the bishop later. The SIT had filed the charge sheet against him last year.