Nun rape case: SC rejects bishop plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Bishop Franco Mulakkal to face trial as it dismissed his plea seeking discharge in the rape case lodged against him by a nun, saying that there is no merit in his petition. Mulakkal, in his plea has challenged the Kerala HC order of July 7, dismissing his discharge plea in the rape case.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea by former Bishop Franco Mulakkal seeking to be discharged from a nun rape case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde while dismissing Bishop Mulakkal’s plea for discharge from the case, however, said, “we are not saying anything on merit but we are dismissing on discharge”.

Mulakkal is facing trial for allegedly raping a nun several times between 2014 and 2016 in Kerala.

He had moved the top court for his discharge from the case, after his plea to close the case was rejected both by the trial court in Kottayam and later by Kerala High Court.

Mulakkal was based Jalandhar in Punjab when allegations surfaced against him.

The former Bishop had claimed that he is innocent and was implicated by the said nun after he questioned her financial dealings.

This is the first case of a high profile priest being accused of raping a nun.

The Bishop has been charged with rape, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.

The nun has said that she approached police after the church authorities did not act on her

New Delhi: The Supreme Court referred to a five-judge Constitution Bench a batch of petitions challenging10% reservation for economically weaker sections amongst the general category on the grounds that it breached the 50% ceiling on the reservation put by the top court by its 1992 judgment by a nine-judge bench known as Indtra Sawhney case. A top court bench comprising Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde, Justices R. Subhash Reddy and B.R. Gavai referred the bunch of petitions, including the transfer petitions, to be heard by a five-judge Constitution bench at a later date.

repeated complaints.

She and other nuns live in the same hostel alleged intimidation and pressure from the church authorities to end the case which was giving a bad name to the church.

Mulakkal was removed as the Bishop of Jalandhar after police registered a case on a complaint filed by the 43year old nun with the Kottayam police in June 2018. He was arrested by the Kerala police in September 2018.