Kerala: Nuns stage sit-in protest demanding Bishop Mulakkal's arrest

A group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of allegedly raping a nun. The protest has been called by the Joint Christian Council.

"We are not getting justice from the police, church authorities and the government. That is why we thought of conducting this protest. If the accused would have been a layman, then they would have arrested him easily. However, he belongs to higher authority and has money. So, they are denying the arrest," a nun said.

In June, a case was registered against four priests of Malankara Orthodox Church for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Kottayam. The accused allegedly threatened to disclose the victim's confessions made in church.

The incident came to light when the victim's husband recovered an audio clip related to the case, following which an investigation was initiated by the church. The church later suspended all the priests after a complaint was filed.

One out of the four accused priests in the case surrendered on July 12.