Kerala nun rape: Bishop sent to judicial custody

Rape accused bishop, Franco Mulakkal, has been sent to judicial custody till October 6 by the Pala Judicial Magistrate Court in Kerala's Kottayam.

In his defence, Bishop Mulakkal, alleged that the police took away his clothes (Pyjama and Kurta) forcefully while he was in custody. However, as it is the procedure before custody, the judge didn't consider his complaint.

On September 22, the senior Catholic priest was sent to a police custody till today, after being produced before the magistrate court. His bail plea had been postponed to September 25 by the Kerala High Court.

Franco Mulakkal, the Bishop of Mulakkal, is facing allegations of raping a Kerala-based nun repeatedly between 2014 and 2016 and was arrested on Friday in Tripunithura after three days of questioning.

The clergyman denies the charges of sexual misconduct.

The probe team is mulling over to file an application in the court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test on the prelate, as he is not cooperating during the interrogation, police said.

On Sunday, he was taken to the Kuravilangadu Convent, the alleged crime scene, as a part of the evidence-collection process.