Chargesheet Filed Against Bishop Franco Mulakkal In Kerala Nun Rape Case

The Kerala police today filed chargehseet against Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of Jalandhar Diocese of Catholic Church, alleging that he had raped a nun on several occasions over a period of two years.

This is for the first time in the history of Catholic Church in India that a clergyman of the rank of a Bishop is named accused in a police final report. If charges are proved, Franco can be get maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

The filing of charges on Tuesday "enters the annals of history as a rarest of rare incident, when a bishop is going to face trial in a court based on the complaint of a nun who is a subordinate to him," read a statement from Save Our Sisters, a collective of nuns and members of the Church who had came out in protest against Franco.

The allegation is that the complainant-nun was subjected to rape on multiple occasions between 6-5-2014 to 23-09-2016 by Franco Mulakkal by abusing his dominant position. On the basis of her complaint, the Kuravilangad police registered Crime No. 746 of 2018 for offences punishable under Sections 342, 376 (2)(k) and (n) , 377, and 506 (I) IPC.

Following the registration of FIR,  "Save Our Sisters" collective, had launched public protests calling for arrest of Franco. They alleged that the investigation was being sabotaged by the Church.

He was arrested by police on September 21 evening, after three days of interrogation since September 19.

He was later released on bail by the High Court on October 15 on condition that he should not set foot in Kerala.

Mulakkal has denied the charges as "baseless and concocted", and insisted that nun had made the allegations as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.

(With PTI inputs)