Kerala nun rape case: Non-bailable warrant issued against Bishop Franco Mulakkal

On Monday, the Kottayam Additional District Court in Kerala cancelled Bishop Franco Mulakkal's bail plea in the Kerala nun rape case. The court has also issued a non-bailable warrant against him. 

The order against him was passed after the Bishop failed to appear before the court repeatedly. Judge G Gopakumar passed the order. 

Franco Mulakkal's bail plea dismissed

In June 2018 the Kerala High Court granted conditional bail to the rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. The Bishop who was accused of raping and sexually assaulting a nun in 2018, stepped down from the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar.

The Additional District Court in Kottayam on July 13th cancelled the bail issued for Mulakkal and issued a non-bailable warrant against the rape-accused. The decision was taken after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court. 

Mulakkal was to appear in court on July 1st for his hearing. His lawyer argued that the Bishop couldn't attend because 'he was in a Coronavirus containment zone', in Jalandhar. On Monday the Special Prosecutor deposed that Jalandhar Civil Lines where Mulakkal resides is not a containment zone. Upon admitting the argument of the prosecutor, the judge G Gopakumar cancelled his bail.

A nun had alleged in 2018, that Bishop Franco Mulakkal had raped her and had exploited several times between 2014 and 2016. in Septemeber 2018 the Bishop was arrested on these charges despite denying the charges.