Jalandhar bishop offers to ‘step aside’

Senior Catholic priest Franco Mulakkal, facing an investigation after a nun accused him of rape, has written a letter to the Pope offering to “step aside temporarily” as Bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese, the Church said yesterday.

The bishop’s move came ahead of his appearance before the Kerala Police on September 19 in connection with the case.

The nun accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop says the allegations are baseless.