Nun rape case: Supreme Court dismisses Bishop Franco Mulakkal’s plea for quashing of charges

Cover photo: Bishop Franco Mulakkal is accused of raping a nun several times between 2014 and 2016

 

 

 

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 5

 

In my comments to Mattersindia.com report dated 25 July 2020 (my comments which unfortunately has been collapsed/deleted by Mattersindia) that Supreme Court should throw Franco Mulakkal's petition to dismiss the rape case against him straight into the dustbin. 

 

At today's hearing, Supreme Court has done EXACTLY this. Mulakkal had petitioned he was innocent and was framed by the nun whose financial dealings he had questioned. He wanted be freed from the case in Kerala High Court which is hearing the case where the so-called-bishop-wolf-in-a-sheep's clothing Mulakkal has been charged with rape, wrongful confinement, unnatural offence and criminal intimidation.

Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said "You don't have a case and there is no merit in your petition."

Now the options available to Mulakkal is to go in for indefinite Covid Quarantine (an alibi he adopted in July after the Kerala Court issued non-bailable warrant against him) or vanish into the jungles of Jharkhand! He might also pay his way out of India, given the connections/clout the Indian Church has. Mulakkal can also play the Minority Card!! Next in line will be Bishop K.A. William of Mysore on whom Mr Michael Saldanha, former Justice of Bombay High Court  has served legal notice, accusing him of committing crimes such as murders, sexual misconduct, etc. Isaac Gomes, Associate Editor, Church Citizens' Voice.

 

 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday has dismissed nun rape case accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal's petition seeking to quash the charges against him, saying that "there was no merit in his case".

 

"You don't have a case. There is no merit in your plea", said a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde.

 

Bishop had claimed that he had been falsely implicated after he questioned the financial dealings of the victim.

 

The 56-year-old Maulakkal—the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese—had challenged on July 7 of the Kerala High Court dismissing his plea.

 

The trial court has also rejected his plea. Now, he will have to face the trial in this case.

 

Mulakkal was arrested on September 2018 after a nun in the Missionaries of Jesus congregation filed a complaint—accusing him of raping her times between 2014 and 2016 in Kottayam in Kerala.

 

The Kerala Police has already filed a charge sheet against him in the case. The charge sheet has listed 83 witnesses, including Cardinal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, three bishops, 11 priests, and many nuns against him.

 

The Kerala High Court on July 7 had dismissed his seeking to discharge him in the case and directed him to face for trial.

 

The high court agreed with the prosecution that there was prima facie evidence against Mulakkal in the rape case.

 

The accused had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by a trial court in March this year.

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