Team News Riveting
Kochi, January 14
A Kerala court on Friday acquitted Catholic Bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese Franco Mulakkal in nun rape case.
The 50-year-old nun shook the Catholic establishment, not just in Kerala, but across the country, when she levelled allegations against Mulakkal in 2018. It was alleged that earlier in 2018, the nun first approached higher officials in the church, including the Pope’s office, with serious accusations against Mulakkal who was then a senior priest. She failed to get any response.
On June 29, 2018, when Mulakkal was the head of the Jalandhar diocese in Punjab, the nun filed a complaint before the Kottayam District Police Chief accusing Mulakkal of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 at Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam (Kerala). The Kuravilangad police registered a case on the complaint of the nun, who had served as mother general with the Jesus of Missionaries at Jalandhar.
Subsequently, the Special Investigation Team which probed the case, arrested Franco and charged him under Sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 376 (2)(k), 376(2)(n) (rigorous imprisonment for not less than 10 years), 376 C(a) (intercourse by superintendent of remand home etc), 377 (unnatural offences) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
It took 86 days of investigation and 81 witnesses to record their statements, before the Kerala police arrested the Bishop on September 21, 2018. Prior to this, the Kerala Police had interrogated Bishop for nine hours at the Bishop house between August 14 and 15.
The trial began in September 2020 but at the request of Mulakkal’s counsel, the court had restrained the print and electronic media from publishing any matter relating to the trial.
The survivor nun, and her supporters, have faced opposition and even threats from powerful persons within the Catholic establishment who continued to support the disgraced priest. Sister Lucy Kalappura, who participated in protests against Mulakkal, was evicted from her convent. When she approached the Kerala High Court with a plea seeking police protection, the convent submitted a decretum issued by the Supremum Tribunal Signaturae Apostolicae (the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church) which ended her right to remain a part of the congregation.
The Additional Sessions Judge, G Gopakumar Kottayam, delivered the highly awaited verdict.
