Franco Mulakkal

nun rape case

Jesus Christ

Kerala nun rape case: Prosecution opposes bail for rape-accused bishop Franco Mulakkal The rape accused Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal will continue to remain in Pala sub-jail as the Kerala High Court on Thursday reserved its order on his bail plea. The court has deferred pronouncing the verdict on his plea to October 3.

Bishop of Jalandhar

Kerala nun rape case: PC George visits Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in sub-jail Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is lodged in cell number three of Pala sub-jail after his arrest in the nun rape case, was visited by the auxiliary bishop of Pala Jacob Muricken and independent lawmaker PC George.

Mar Mathew Arackal, bishop of the Syro –Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kanjirappally, visited rape accused Jalandhar bishopat Pala sub-jail on Monday. Arackal was accompanied by auxiliary bishops Mar Jose Pulickal and Malankara Samuel Mar Irenios, sources said.Arackal’s contention is that Franco is blameless in the. Wascrucified because he was guilty? he sought to question when he was confronted by the media, sources said. Let the court decide whether the nun was assaulted, he said.The prelates turned up at the jail on Sunday but they were not permitted to meet Franco since it was a Sunday.Last week, the auxiliary bishop of Pala, Jacob Muricken, visited Franco Mulakkal who is lodged in cell no 3 of Pala sub-jail.Last Saturday's visit by the parish vicar of a church in Kodanad Fr Maniparambil Nichlavos to the mission home belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus Congregation in Kuravilangad, kicked up a controversy as he met the nuns who were witnesses in the case. The nuns accused the priest of trying to influence them in an attempt to save the rape-accused bishop.After he left the Kuravilangad home, the nuns, led by Sr Anupama, told the media that he tried to influence them by trying to make them feel 'guilty' for, what he described as, 'insulting' the Church by staging the recent protests and lodging complaint against the bishop.Moreover, it has come to light that a person who accompanied the priest as his car driver is an accused in a murder case. Saji Mookkannoor allegedly murdered Thomas, the leader of a farmers' association, in August 2011.Although Saji was said to be a close friend of the priest, Nichlavos claimed that Saji came as a driver and he was not aware that he was the accused in a murder case.Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) announced that it was “deeply pained at the recent developments connected with theand the constant attacks by the media on the Church implying that it was trying to cover up the case.”This accusation does not correspond to the truth, claimed Oswald Cardinal Gracias, archbishop of Bombay and President of CBCI.He issued a statement saying that Church authorities have studied and continue to examine this serious and complex matter. Since the civil authorities were making their investigations, the Church did not make any statement.“We realize that such matters require and time and discernment. We reiterate that we have full confidence in the judicial system of our country,” the statement said.