Kerala HC dismisses rape accused Bishop's petition seeking discharge without trial

The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, dismissed a petition filed by rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal seeking directions to discharge him without a trial from the rape case filed against him by a senior nun. The accused in his petition had claimed that there was 'lack of evidence' to prove him guilty. A single-judge bench of Justice Shircy V dismissed the petition after hearing the arguments. 

The plea filed by Franco Mulakkal also claimed that there were contradictions in the recorded statements of the witnesses and therefore there was no proof to proceed with the case. However, the prosecution argued that the accused was deliberately trying to delay the trial in the case. Earlier, Mulakkal's petition was rejected by a Kottayam court, following which he approached the High Court. 

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Kerala nun rape case

Bishop Mulakkal has been accused of raping and forcing unnatural sex on the nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016. As the complainant came forward, nuns of the congregation came out in support for the victim, demanding CM Pinarayi Vijayan's intervention. After being arrested by the Kerala police, he was later released by the Kerala High Court on an unconditional bail in October 2018.

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In April 2019, Kerala Police had filed a  charge sheet against Franco Mulakkal under various sections ranging from Punishment for wrongful confinement, Sexual intercourse by a person in authority to Carnal Intercourse against the order of nature. The entire charge sheet filed was 2000 pages long. Sources had told that if the charges against Franco Mulakkal is proven, he might get life imprisonment or imprisonment of not less than 10 years. 

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(With ANI Inputs)