Kottayam: The judicial first class magistrate’s court, Pala, has summoned Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal to appear before it on May 10 in connection with the nun rape case. Official sources said the accused would be handed over a copy of the chargesheet and related documents.
Earlier, the court had accepted the chargesheet after a verification of the documents, which run to over 2,000 pages and include five volumes. Since the charges entail punishment of more than a year, the case will be committed to the sessions court in Kottayam later.
The bishop has been arraigned as an accused in the case under IPC sections342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (2k) (rape on a woman incapable of giving consent), 376 (2n) (causing grievous bodily harm during rape), 376 (c) (a) 377 (unnatural offen-ce), 506 (1) (criminal inti-midation). If proved gui-lty, the bishop may be sentenced to life imprisonment or a minimum imp-risonment of not less th-an ten years. Other than the charg-esheet, the SIT also submitted 101 documents bef-ore the court. The chargesheet comprises 83 witnesses, including Major Archbishop Cardi-nal George Alencherry, Bishop Joseph Kallaran-gatt of Pala diocese, Bha-galpur Bishop Kurian Va-liyakandathil and Bishop Sebastian Vadakkel of the diocese of Ujjain.
