Arrest Bishop Mulakkal: Activist Stephen Mathew hunger strike enters 8th day

Kochi: Joint Christian Council member and social activist Stephen Mathew continues with his hunger strike for the eighth day on Saturday demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Member of Catholic Reformation Movement Aloshi Joseph joined Mathew in the indefinite hunger strike.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal is accused of raping and having unnatural sex multiple times with a nun from Kerala between 2014 and 2016.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Bishop Mulakkal has been summoned by the Kottayam police for question on September 19.

The nun recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the Bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she mustered courage to make public her sufferings.

The Bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.

Bishop Mulakkal on Saturday handed over the charge of Jalandhar diocese to his second-in-command amid an ongoing probe in the case by Kerala police.

The case has now been brought to the notice of the Vatican and the representative from India is in Rome to discuss the issue.