Kerala Nun rape: Jalandhar bishop joins investigation

There were some tense moments when Mulakkal finally entered the premises as the private security staff of the Church manhandled members of the media.

The six-member Kerala Police team investigating a nun’s complaint of sexual assault against Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal finally got to question the bishop on Monday evening.

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Mulakkal reached the Bishop House to join investigation at 7.45pm. The team has been in Jalandhar for three days.

Before this, the cops had quizzed the staff there for over four hours. “Mulakkal was not in the Bishop House on Sunday, when the Kerala police announced that they were going to record his statement,” a Jalandhar cop, who is assisting the Kerala police, said.

There were some tense moments when Mulakkal finally entered the premises as the private security staff of the Church manhandled members of the media. The Jalandhar police, however, remained unware of these developments. DCP Gurmeet Singh said the Kerala police had not shared any prior information with them in the case.

The bishop’s counsel, Mandeep Sachdev, claimed, “The Kerala police did not give any prior notice to intimate my client to join investigation. He reached the Bishop House in the evening and recorded his statement.” Sachdev said no anticipatory bail had been moved in court.

Statements of five nuns and two fathers have been recorded so far.