Bishop Mulakkal acquitted in Kerala nun rape case

 

 

A COURT in Kerala on Friday acquitted Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the charges of raping a nun in a convent in the southern State.

As the prosecution failed to produce evidence against the accused, the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Kottayam, acquitted the Bishop.

Mulakkal, 57, was accused of raping the nun multiple times during his visit to a convent in this district when he was the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese of the Roman Catholic church.

A visibly relieved and emotional Mulakkal, who arrived in the court to hear the verdict, burst into tears, hugged his followers and lawyers, sharing his joy over the verdict. “Daivathinu Sthuthi (praise the Lord),” Mulakkal said when reporters repeatedly sought his reaction.

Some of his followers were even seen crying out of joy knowing the acquittal of the bishop. In a brief Malayalam statement issued soon after the verdict, the Jalandhar diocese thanked those who believed in the innocence of the Bishop till date and provided him with the necessary legal assistance.

“The prosecution has failed miserably in proving charges against the Bishop”, said a lawyer in Bishop’s legal team.

However, senior IPS officer S Harishankar, who had led the special investigation team in the rape case against the bishop, said the verdict was not acceptable and an appeal should be moved against it. “It is a very very unfortunate verdict,” Harishankar told reporters.

Echoing the same sentiments, Public Prosecutor Jithesh J Babu said despite the victim’s statement, the verdict came out like this.