Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal sent to 14 days judicial custody

The Pala court near Kottayam had on Saturday rejected Franco's bail plea and sent him to two days police custody which ended on Monday.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was remanded to judicial custody, is being taken to Sub Jail, Pala on Monday. (Photo: EPS / Vishnu Prathap)

KOTTAYAM: Recording a history of first bishop in the country to be jailed on charges of rape, former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal has been lodged in sub jail, Pala on Monday, after Judicial First Class Magistrate court here remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

The special investigation team probing the rape complaint filed against him by a nun at Missionaries of Jesus Congregation under Latin Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, produced bishop Mulakkal before the Judicial First Magistrate K S Lakshmi at 1 pm following his police custody ended on Friday. Wrapping up the court proceedings in 10 minutes, judge remanded bishop Mulakkal till October 6.

Before taking him to the sub jail, the police took him to General Hospital, Pala to conduct medical test amid tight police bundobust. The police team brought him to the sub jail by 2.25 pm and lodged him at Cell No. 3 as remand prisoner No. 5968, where bishop has to share the space with two other prisoners.

Since the bishop did not seek any special consideration in jail, he was not given any additional facilities like cot, bed or anything else. Earlier, police conducted a medical examination of the bishop at Police Club, Kottayam before heading to the court by 12.20 pm.

Bishop Mulakkal spent the previous night in the police club, after he was taken to evidence collection on Sunday. Bishop Mulakkal was arrested by the special investigation team led by Vaikom DySP K Subhash on Friday night.

Now, the police are making all-out efforts to submit a fool-proof charge sheet in the case sooner than later. Though, the investigation team has 90 days period to submit the charge sheet, they can file it much earlier as the police completed a majority of investigation process before arresting bishop Mulakkal. At the same time, police is also planning to collect maximum evidences against bishop before filing charge sheet and hence they also seeking options to conduct a polygraph test to bishop Mulakkal.