KOTTAYAM: In a major development in the rape case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, head of the Latin Catholic Church diocese of Jalandhar, the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Kottayam, hearing the case, cancelled the bail granted to the bishop for violating the bail conditions. Sessions Judge G Gopakumar also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Franco on Monday after the accused repeatedly failed to present himself before the court since November last. The court, which ordered the forfeiture of the bail bond, directed that a case be registered against the persons who stood as sureties. A show-cause notice will be issued to those who had furnished the bond, directing them to submit reasons, if any, for not confiscating the surety amount worth Rs 2 lakh.
The bishop had last appeared before the court here on November 30, 2019, to secure bail extension. When the case had come up before the court on June 10, the judge issued strict orders to the bishop to present himself on July 1 since he had failed to appear for the proceedings on more than 10 occasions. However, Franco didn’t turn up on the grounds that his Jalandhar residence was situated in a Covid-19 containment zone.
When the case was taken up on Monday, counsel for the accused submitted that the bishop could not appear the court since he is in quarantine. According to the counsel, the bishop had got himself an air ticket to fly down to Kerala. However, before leaving Jalandhar, Franco met his advocate Mandeep Singh Sachdev in person to discuss the case details. As Mandeep had tested Covid positive, Franco was asked to go in quarantine, the counsel said.
However, Adv Jithesh Babu, special public prosecutor(SPP), submitted before the court that the accused had misled the court earlier by wrongly stating that the Civil Line area in Jalandhar falls within the containment zone when in reality it is not. The SPP added that the accused was deliberately trying to delay the legal proceedings. Admitting the arguments of the prosecutor, the court directed that a non-bailable warrant should be issued to the bishop through the Kottayam district police chief.
The court posted the case for August 13.