Protests as bishop arrives for questioning
Interrogation comes 80 days after probe began into rape allegations
Amid tight security, Kerala Police yesterday questioned Bishop Franco Mulakkal for seven hours and asked him to report back today morning.
The bishop of Jalandhar in India’s Punjab state, accused of raping a nun, reported at 11am to the office of the police crime branch in Tripunithura, on the outskirts of Kochi. Police arranged for medical facilities, too, as a precautionary measure ahead of the questioning.
Meanwhile, a protest was held in Kochi demanding the arrest of the bishop. The protesters, led by actor-director Joy Mathew, marched to the office of the inspector-general of police in Kochi.
The questioning comes nearly 80 days after a police investigation began into allegations by a nun attached to a convent in Kuravilangad, in Kottayam district, that she had been raped 13 times by Mulakkal between 2014 and 2016.
Mulakkal denies the allegations.
Interrogation
Addressing the media soon after the bishop left, Kottayam Superindent of Police Harishankar said the first phase of interrogation is over.
“He has been served a notice to appear before the probe team ... He is cooperating with us. Since the questioning is going on, at the moment, we won’t be unable to share what the bishop had to say,” said Harishankar.