Media persons waiting outside the bishop’s house in Jalandhar and the private security staff inside were engaged in some altercation on Monday evening

KOCHI: Police on Monday informed the high court that investigations by them have revealed that Franco Mulakkal , the bishop of Roman Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, raped a nun on several occasions at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district.During the hearing on plea for a court-monitored probe into the alleged sexual abuse of a Catholic nun by the bishop, the prosecution told the court that a decision on arresting the bishop will be taken after interrogating him and upon evaluating the available evidence. The court asked the police to arrive at a decision regarding the bishop’s arrest at the earliest.Confirming the allegation that the nun was raped several times at a guest room of St Francis Mission Home at Kuruvilangad, investigating officer DSP K Subhash filed a statement in the high court that said, “The available evidence collected so far revealed that the accused Bishop Franco committed an unnatural offence and raped the nun repeatedly on different dates from May 6, 2014, to September 23, 2016, against the will and consent of the victim by abusing his dominance over her as Bishop of Jalandhar. The offence was committed after confining her in the guest room No. 20 of St Francis Mission Home, Kuravilangad.”Further, the court was informed that medical examination revealed that the nun was subjected to rape. Statement of the nun was recorded under Section 164 of CrPC and she deposed that she was subjected to unnatural offence and raped by the bishop, police informed. Statement of the doctor who conducted the medical examination of the nun was also recorded by police and she has confirmed that there was evidence of sexual assault on the nun, police added.As per the statement filed in the court, the special investigation team verified the visitor’s register of the mission home and found that the bishop had visited and stayed there on several occasions, from May 5, 2014, to September 23, 2016. Based on this finding, the room where the bishop stayed on all these dates was subjected to scientific examination, police told the court.On July 10, an application for issuing a lookout notice was submitted to Kottayam district police chief and it was forwarded to the authority concerned so as to foil any attempt by the bishop to leave the country, police submitted.At the hearing, the prosecution also submitted that arrangement has been made to interrogate the bishop with the assistance of Punjab Police. The court expressed satisfaction on the investigation conducted so far and said police have taken a proactive role and said there was no lethargy in investigation as alleged.Declining the plea for a court-monitored probe, the high court directed Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Alencherry to ensure that no person circulates anything pressurizing or intended to influence the victim. The church should not circulate any pamphlet or leaflet touching on the moral character of the victim and police should take immediate action if it is found so, the court ordered.A petition filed by K George Joseph of Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement (KCRM), seeking a directive to arrest the bishop, was being considered by the court. It was alleged by the petitioner that the bishop was continuing with his religious duties and functions despite these serious allegations. Such a situation was a serious deterrent to the cause of justice, the petition had said.