#ArrestBishopFranco: Protesting nuns question Kerala police over failure to file chargesheet
Kochi: The Kerala nuns fighting for justice to the 44-nun of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of rape and sodomy approached the Kerala police to question them over the failure of the investigation officers not filing the chargesheet on the case yet.
While ‘investigations still on’ continues to be the response of the Kerala police, it is still not known whether the Kerala police is working under pressure of certain political and religious powers to delay the filing of the chargesheet in this case.
The case come to light last year, when the victim nun of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation approached the Kerala police to file a complaint after her repeated pleas to Catholic Church in India for justice fell on deaf ears.
Initially, the Kerala police appeared to be dragging their feet on the case, while attempts were made to bribe, threaten and put false charges on the victim to intimidate her to relent from pursuing the case by accomplices close to the accused rapist Bishop Franco Mulakkal. But strong protests from the nuns and media focus forced the Kerala police to act.
The Bishop of the Archdiocese of Jalandhar, Mulakkal was the first senior cleric in India of the Catholic Church to be arrested on charges of rape and sodomy. He was granted interim bail by the Kerala High Court.
The Missionaries of Jesus congregation and the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) have issued threatening orders to the nuns supporting the 44-year old nun in her fight for justice.
Sister Lucy from the FCC has been issued her fourth threatening order to face expulsion or to quit the congregation voluntarily.
The Catholic Church has maintained a stoic silence on this case and appears to be siding with the accused rapist Bishop Franco Mulakkal in its silence.
