Kerala High Court dismisses Bishop Franco Mulakkal's bail plea

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal accused of rape and sexual assault by a nun. Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan accepted prosecution’s take of the case being hampered if the accused was given the bail as he holds a high position in the society will try to influence witnesses in the case.

The court also took note of the submission by the prosecution that the investigation in the case was at a crucial stage and more statements of fellow nuns have to be recorded before the magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC in connection with the case.

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Kerala nun rape case: Bail plea of Franco Mulakkal, former Bishop Jalandhar, rejected by Kerala High Court

— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018

The investigation in the case is underway even after the arrest of the accused, the police said.

Bishop Mulakkal moved the High Court after a court in Pala rejected his bail application and is currently under judicial remand in a sub-jail in Pala of Kottayam district.

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Mulakkal is the first Bishop in India to be arrested on rape charges. He had been remanded to police custody till October 6 following three days of intense questioning in September.

The nun, in her complaint to the Kottayam Police in June, had alleged that Bishop Mulakkal raped her continuously at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her several times, adding that she had to approach the police as church authorities did not act on her constant complaints.

However, the bishop has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The arrest of accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal came after massive political pressure and several protests held in Kochi by five nuns of the order.

(With PTI Inputs)