SIT interrogates Bishop Franco accused in Kerala nun rape case

Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused in Kerala nun rape case, arrived at Crime Branch (CID) in Kochi earlier today, news agency ANI reported.

Bishop Mulakkal is being interrogated by a special five-member investigation team of the Kerala police led by Vaikom Deputy SP K Subhash.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International India on Tuesday said that the authorities in Kerala must ensure timely justice to a nun who has accused the bishop of raping her over a period of two years.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Revealing the identity of a survivor of sexual violence is a crime under Indian law, but to face a backlash from the very community to which she has dedicated her life, is tragic," news agency PTI quoted.

"This is a blatant and extremely unfortunate attempt at victim naming and shaming," said Asmita Basu, Amnesty International India's Programme Director.

Basu was responding to allegations of repeated instances of sexual violence faced by a Kerala-based nun, allegedly by the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, and subsequent smear campaigns against her by the Congregation of the Missionaries of Jesus.

The accused, Franco Mulakkal, has written to the Pope offering to "step aside temporarily" as the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, a move which comes ahead of his appearance before the Kerala Police on Wednesday to join the investigation in the case.

The Kerala-based nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 during his visits to the Jalandhar-diocese run convent at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district.

The bishop has, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted".

(With inputs from agencies)