Kerala nun rape case: Court cancels bail granted to Bishop Franco Mulakkal

Bishop Franco Mulakkal was not present for the hearing again today; his lawyer stated that he had to go into quarantine as one of his advocates had tested positive for COVID-19.  

Kottayam: The Kottayam Additional District Court on July 13 cancelled the bail of rape-accused Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal. The bail was cancelled after Mulakkal failed to appear on numerous occasions before the court despite several warnings. The court proceeded to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant against him.

According to reports, Mulakkal was not present for the hearing again today; his lawyer stated that he had to go into quarantine as one of his advocates had tested positive for coronavirus.

On July 1 too, Mulakkal skipped the hearing, with his counsel telling the court that the Bishop was in a containment zone. However, the public prosecutor today argued that the Bishop's house and the area around it was not a containment zone and that it was a deliberate attempt to delay the case.

The Kerala high court in 2018 granted conditional bail to Mulakkal, who was arrested over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun. If Mulakkal is found guilty, he may get life imprisonment or minimum imprisonment of not less than 10 years, say police sources.