Missionaries of Jesus request police to shift victim, witnesses to secure location

The Missionaries of Jesus on Friday wrote to the police, requesting to relocate the victim and other witnesses in the Kerala nun rape case to a safer government facility.

This comes after Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, a key witness in the rape case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, was found dead in Punjab's Jalandhar on October 22.

The brother of the nun, who leveled the rape accusations against the Bishop, alleged that the murder was "pre-planned."

The police had earlier asked the Catholic congregation to reveal specific security arrangements for the nuns in the convent home.

The police had also suggested a number of safety measures that the Missionaries of Jesus could implement, like night vision cameras and proper lighting on the streets.

Bishop Mulakkal, who on October 16 came out on bail from a Kerala jail, a day after being granted conditional bail, is facing allegations of repeatedly raping a nun of his own congregation, a charge that he has categorically denied.

The allegations against the senior Catholic priest from Jalandhar whipped up a storm, polarising the church hierarchy with several priests speaking against Bishop Mulakkal.