Kerala nun rape case: Franco Mulakkal’s bail extended till Jan 6

Mulakkal, former bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, was accused of sexually assaulting a nun between 2014 and 2016

A court in Kerala’s Kottayame on Saturday extended the bail of former bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, Franco Mulakkal, accused of sexually assaulting a nun between 2014 and 2016, till January 6.

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Franco was present in the additional sessions court during the hearing, where he arrived after praying at a nearby church.

Mulakkal was arrested on September 21, 2018, on rape charges and got bail on October 16 that year.

The Kerala police has already filed a 1,400-page chargesheet in the court against him.

The trial is expected to start from January 6.

The chargesheet names 83 witnesses, including the Cardinal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Mar George Alencherry, three bishops, 11 priests and many nuns.

After the case came to light, Mulakkal was removed as head of the Jalandhar diocese. IANS