Nun rape case: Probe team returns after quizzing bishop

KOTTAYAM: After a nine-hour-long marathon interrogation of Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of raping a nun, the Kerala Police team returned from Jalandhar on Tuesday.
DSP K Subhash, who led the team, said the bishop answered the questions and there was no need to arrest him at this point. The questioning had started around 7.45pm on Monday.
The six-member police team, which left the Bishop House around 4.45am, will reach the state by Wednesday afternoon.Kottayam SP Hari Sankar will review the progress of the probe in the evening. He added that though the bishop cooperated with the probe team throughout the interrogation, there were also some contradictions in his statements.
The team has also seized one of his mobile phones, a laptop and hard disk of his computer.
The diocese has maintained that the nun lodged the complaint after the bishop allowed to carry out an inquiry into a complaint of moral turpitude against her. The diocese officials also handed over 36 statements given by the nuns vouching for Mulakkal's character.
Meanwhile, the brother of the nun said he will approach the high court against the delay in the police action.
DGP dismisses allegations: State police chief Loknath Behera dismissed the allegations that the police were trying to protect bishop, on Tuesday. Behera said the police were trying to collect more evidence against the accused.