Former Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted in nun's rape case
A court in Kottayam, Kerala on Friday acquitted former bishop Franco Mulakkal of all charges in the rape case of a catholic nun. Additional Sessions Court Judge G Gopakumar pronounced the verdict. Mulakkal, a former bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, had been arrested in September 2018 in connection with the sensational rape case that had triggered protests in parts of the country.
Why does this story matter?
The case is significant as Mulakkal was the first Indian Catholic bishop to be arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault. The allegations against him surfaced in 2018 when a nun said he raped her 13 times over a period of two years, between 2014 and 2016. He was relieved from official duties at the Jalandhar diocese after the police filed a case.
Tight security at court ahead of verdict
On Friday, the local police had tightened security arrangements at the court, ahead of the pronouncement of the verdict. Bomb squads had also conducted a search earlier in the day. Special prosecutors Jithesh J Babu and Subin K Varghese represented the prosecution while lawyers K Raman Pillai and CS Ajayan appeared for the accused. The trial in the case had concluded on January 10.
Police case was lodged in 2018
On June 29, 2018, the police had registered a case against Mulakkal. He was booked for various charges including illegal confinement, sexual harassment through abuse of power, unnatural sex, rape, and outraging the modesty of a woman. Vaikkom Deputy SP K Subhash was the investigating officer in the case. The former bishop, however, maintained the accusations against him were "fabricated."
Contrasting reactions to court's verdict
"The allegation was false. It was evident that the case was cooked up. There was no reliable evidence of rape," advocate Pillai told Manorama News. On the other hand, former Kottayam district police chief S Hari Shankar said Friday's verdict is shocking. "There was strong evidence in this case. No witness turned hostile," he reportedly said.
Mulakkal sought dismissal of charges in other courts
In the past, Mulakkal had approached the Kerala High Court as well as the Supreme Court of India, seeking to quash the charges against him. However, both the courts refused to hear the pleas and asked the accused bishop to face trial. "Daivathinu sthuthi (Praise the Lord!)," Mulakkal told reporters after the court verdict on Friday.
