Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has ordered the appointment of advocate BG Harindranath as special prosecutor in the sexual assault case in which Franco Mulakkal is the accused. The decision came after the survivor, a nun, wrote a detailed letter to the Chief Minister seeking the appointment of a special public prosecutor. The letter was submitted on November 12, 2025. An official notification in this regard is expected to be issued soon.
The case relates to allegations of sexual assault raised by a nun against Franco Mulakkal during his tenure as bishop. The complaint was investigated by the Kuravilangad police and later tried by the Kottayam sessions court. Though the accused was acquitted by the trial court in January 2022, criminal appeals filed by the state and the victim are currently pending before the Kerala high court.
In her letter to the Chief Minister, the survivor highlighted the gravity of the case and the challenges she faced in coming forward against the church hierarchy. She wrote, “this is a case of great importance concerning the safety of women and their position in society. As a nun belonging to the lowest rung of the hierarchy, it was not easy for me to raise my voice even by a single word against the priestly leadership of the Catholic Church. It was only after enduring repeated and severe sexual abuse, and out of utter helplessness, that I gathered immense courage to come forward and speak out.”
She also underlined the broader social implications of the case, stating, “it is essential that this case results in a judgment that helps any woman in Kerala who is living a life of suffering to come out of such situations. The shock and anxiety caused in society by the acquittal of the accused would certainly have come to your notice.”
The survivor further pointed out that the trial court judgment runs into 289 pages and involves a large number of witnesses and exhibits, making the matter legally complex and time-consuming. Referring to the Kerala high court ruling in ‘State of Kerala v Ambika’, she argued that when a victim seeks the appointment of a special public prosecutor in such circumstances, the government is duty-bound to consider the request.
Taking these factors into account, the Chief Minister approved the appointment of senior advocate BG Harindranath as special prosecutor to conduct the appeals pending before the Kerala high court.