Nun case: Kerala Police team in Jalandhar, fails to meet bishop

A Kerala Police team arrived in Punjab's Jalandhar city on Friday, but failed to meet the controversial bishop, who is accused of sexually abusing a nun, fearing law and order trouble.

Police sources said the Punjab Police had to station its personnel in and around the campus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar after several followers of the diocese gathered there after hearing about the arrival of the Kerala police team.

The six-member team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A.T. Subhash, arrived here on Friday to question the accused, Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, and others.

However, the Kerala police team did not enter the diocese campus and could not question the accused bishop as local authorities feared that this could lead to law and order problem.

The Kerala police team is likely to question the bishop in the next two days.

A nun had alleged in June that Mulakkal sexually abused her several times at a convent in Kuruvalangadu near Kottayam between 2014 to 2016. An FIR was registered against the bishop and a 114-page detailed statement was taken from the nun and other inmates of the convent.

Mulakkal however, denies any wrongdoing.

A spokesman for the diocese told media that no wrong had been done by the bishop and that the allegations were being made by the nun at the instigation of vested interests.

Statements were taken from the head of the Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal Mar George Alencherry and also a few other former nuns who were residents at the convent.

--IANS

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