Kerala Commission for Minorities seeks report from police in Jalandhar bishop rape case

The Commission stated that action was registered following media reports describing the 44-year-old nun’s ordeal.
Kerala Commission for Minorities seeks report from police in Jalandhar bishop rape case
Kerala Commission for Minorities seeks report from police in Jalandhar bishop rape case
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The Kerala Commission for Minorities has issued a notice to the Kerala police seeking the reports filed in the case against Jalandhar bishop Father Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of raping a 44-year-old nun.

This comes two days after a group of Catholic nuns started an indefinite protest near the Kerala High Court, demanding that the Jalandhar bishop be arrested and questioned.

Speaking to TNM, Najeeb, an official at the Kerala State Commission for Minorities stated the notice was issued following media reports describing the 44-year-old nun’s ordeal.

“This is following the allegations put forward by the protesting nuns that the DGP, along with the Kochi range IG, are trying to sabotage the case against the Jalandhar Bishop. Based on the case filed, the Police chief and the range IG have been asked to immediately submit the case reports. Kerala State Minorities Commission chairman PK Haneef has said that based on the reports they get, they will decide on the action to be taken,” said Najeeb.

Five nuns attached to a Catholic convent near Kottayam, to which the survivor nun belonged to, began an indefinite fast programme on Saturday demanding action against the accused, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar.

The 44-year-old nun had alleged in June that Mulakkal sexually abused her several times at a convent in Kuruvalangadu near Kottayam in Kerala between 2014 to 2016. However, over 75 days have passed since an FIR was registered against the bishop and a 114-page detailed statement was taken from the nun and other inmates of the convent, but no arrests have been made yet.

The Kerala Police on August 13 had questioned Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Punjab but no further action was taken. On that day, three journalists from Kerala also alleged manhandling by the Bishop's private security when they tried to speak to Mulakkal.

The Kerala police now plan on bringing the Bishop from Jalandhar to Kerala for questioning.

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