Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal asked to appear before police on Sept 19
Kerala nun, Bishop Franco Mulakkal
The case has now been brought to the notice of the Vatican and the representative from India is in Rome to discuss the issue, ANI report said.
The Jalandhar Police has served a notice toBishop Franco Mulakkal to appear for interrogation before the Kerala Police on September19.
A criminal case has also been registered against the Missionaries of Jesus for publishing a letter as well as a photo of the victim nun.
The decision to summon the clergyman was taken after a meeting chaired by Sakhare, Inspector General (Ernakulam range), which was also attended by Kottayam District Superintendent of Police Harisankar and Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash amid mounting pressure on police to initiate action against Mullakal.
Meanwhile, the brother of the victim has also slammed the congregation for disclosing the identity of the nun.
He said, "Yesterday Missionaries of Jesus published a letter as well as a photo of the victim. I condemn that. It's very shameful, people of a congregation like that don't know Court's order. It is very sad that they want to harass my sister in such a way."
Bishop Franco Mulakkal, facing probe over allegations of rape by a nun, has handed over his administrative responsibility of Jalandhar diocese to a senior priest.
"In my absence, Msgr Mathew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as in the normal practice when I am away from the Diocese," Bishop Mulakkal said in a circular.
In the circular, the bishop said there were "several contradictions" in the evidences collected against him by the police probing the case.
"I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation," he said in it.
The nun had recently sought the urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she had mustered the courage to make public her suffering.
She alleged that Bishop Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to "bury" the case against him.
The nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016.
The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.
(With inputs from PTI)