Bishop Franco’s bail plea rejected; to be in police custody till Sept 24

rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar/Kottayam, September 22

The bail plea of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested by the police over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun, was on Saturday rejected.

He will be in police custody till September 24.

The 54-year-old clergyman was produced in a magistrate court in Pala.

Earlier, Mulakkal was discharged from the government hospital in Kottayam where he was admitted following complaints of chest pain, official sources said.

He had complained of pain in his chest while being taken to Kottayam Police club from the Crime Branch office in Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district on Friday night, they said.

He was under observation in the cardiology section of the Medical College Hospital for over six hours after his blood pressure shot up, they said.

Sources said the ECG and other cardiac-related tests were performed. His health condition is said to be normal.

In her complaint to the Kottayam police in June, the nun had alleged that Bishop Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions.

She said she had to approach the police as the church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman.

However, the bishop has denied the charges. With PTI