New Delhi (CNN) Police in India have charged a Catholic bishop with raping a nun, following months of protests and allegations of a coverup.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal is accused of raping a nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016 at a church guest house in Kerala, in the country's southwest.

The police official who led the investigation, K. Subash, told CNN the charge sheet against Mulakkal had statements from 83 witnesses, including a cardinal, three bishops, 11 priests and 25 nuns.

Medical reports show the nun was raped, Subash said.

Mulakkal was arrested in September following sustained protests by nuns in the area accusing police of a coverup. He was released on bail about a month after arrest.

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