By Matters India Reporter

Kottayam, July 13, 2020: A court in Kerala on July 13 created history by issuing non-bailable arrest warrant against a Catholic bishop, who failed several times to appear for trial in a rape case.

The Additional District and Sessions Judge in Kottayam on July 1 had asked Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar to be present in the court to stand trial for allegedly raping a Catholic nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016.

However, the 56-year-old prelate’s failure to be present for several times led the court to take stringent actions.

The October 15, 2018, bail granted to Bishop Mulakkal stands cancelled, the court ruled, issuing the non-bailable warrant against him.

The court also issued show cause notice to the bishop’s guarantors why their bond money should not to be forfeited.

Earlier on July 7, the Kerala High Court rejected Bishop Mulakkal’s plea to quash the charge of sexually assaulting a nun against him.

The top court in Kerala had also asked the prelate to face trial agreeing with the prosecution that ample evidence exists against the bishop in the case. It also noted that the prelate was trying to delay the court proceedings.

Both the First Information Report as well as in the secret statement provided by the victim have clear evidence of the bishop’s acts, the high court said.

The bishop continues to maintain the charges against him were cooked up due to some personal grudges and differences the victim had with him. He claimed he was being implicated because he had questioned her financial dealings.

He had moved the high court after the Kottayam court dismissed his discharge plea in March.

Bishop Mulakkal allegedly subjected the Missionaries of Jesus nun to sexual abuses at their convent in Kuravilangad near Kottayam, the town where the trial court is situated.

The prelate had spent three weeks in prison in 2018 after being arrested by a special investigation team of the police and was released on bail.

In June, the trial court had asked him to appear before it on July 1, but he had played truant, citing that his house is Jalandhar is located in a coronavirus disease containment zone.

The prosecution on July 13 told the court that the bishop’s counsel had lied to it since the residence of the Jalandhar bishop was not in a containment zone.

Meanwhile, the public relations officer(PRO) of Mulakkal has expressed shock over the “unfortunate” cancellation of the bail.

“We are all shocked to know that his bail is cancelled,”  states an evening press note issued  by the PRO.

The press note says the bishop could not appear in the court as he was in home quarantine in Jalandhar. He had requested leave of absence and submitted relevant documents, the PRO says.

The PRO also denied the bishop had absented from the court 13 times as reported in a section of media. “There were only four dates, till today, where (the) bishop did not appear. Two dates were taken by the lawyers for the preparation of submitting the review petition in Kerala High Court,” the statement clarifies.

According to the press release, the bishop was quarantined on July 6 and the administration rejected his application for E-Traveling pass. “These documents were duly submitted in the court. The court gave bishop leave of absence.”