Kerala HC rejects Bishop Franco's bail

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been arrested on charge of raping a nun, citing that there were prima-facie evidence against the Bishop in the case.

Rejecting the bail application here, the High Court also accepted the prosecution's stand that if the accused was given bail, it would hamper the course of the investigation and also scuttle the case.

The court said it was not delving into other aspects of the case, since it was a rape case.

''Just the primary investigation is on and if the Bishop, who has a strong influence on the Church, is let off on bail, he may influence the witnesses,'' the Prosecution pointed out.

In his bail application, the Bishop, through his lawyers, said that the allegations levelled by the nun were wholly concocted and cooked up, only to wreak vengeance for the action taken against her.Mr Mulakkal was arrested on rape charges, first of its kind of offence in the country against a Bishop.

The  nun, belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus order of Catholic Christ, alleged in her complaint that the Bishop had sexually assaulted her 13 times, over a period of two years from May 5, 2014.(UNI)