Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused sexual assaulting a nun, was grilled by Kerala police for seven hours on Wednesday and the interrogation will continue on Thursday, sources said.
“The first phase of interrogation is over. He has been asked to be present tomorrow morning at 11 am for continued interrogation. He has agreed to it,†Kottayam Superintendent of police Hari Sankar said after the marathon questioning of the priest.
A five-member team of the Kerala police led by Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash interrogated the bishop at the Crime Branch for allegedly raping a nun.
This is the second police interrogation that bishop Mulakkal will face in connection with the alleged crime. Earlier, a police team from Kerala had travelled to Jalandhar to question him.Â
On Tuesday, Mulakkal, filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Kerala High Court claiming allegations against him were a "cooked up story to wreak vengeance". The Kerala High Court adjourned the hearing of the application for September 25 when it will hear the police version. When the plea came up for the hearing before Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan this afternoon, the petitioner did not seek any interim relief to thwart his possible arrest.Â
Citing convention, legal experts said police may not arrest Mulakkal, who recently stepped aside as the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, since his anticipatory bail plea is pending before the high court. However, police can still arrest him if it has sufficient evidence, they said. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala Police has asked him to appear before it Wednesday.
Here are the highlights:
#7: 05 pm: Interrogation of accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal to continue tomorrow.
#7: 01 pm:Â All India Youth Federation-CPI hold protest as Kerala nun rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal leaves from CID Crime Branch office.
#10.58 am:Â Accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal arrives at Crime Branch (CID) in Kochi where he will be interrogated by a 5 members team led by Vaikom DySP K Subhash.
#10.00 am:Â Kochi: Security heightened at Crime Branch (CID) where five members team led by Vaikom Dy SP K Subhash will interrogate accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in Kerala nun rape case.
In his plea, the 54-year-old clergyman has claimed the accusations by the nun, serving in a congregation under the Jalandhar diocese, is "wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against her". Claiming innocence, the bishop said the complaint was "nothing but a fictional story".Â
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