Kochi: The seven-day old protest by nuns demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal facing charges of raping a nun has shown no signs of abatement as students and youths converged at High Court Junction in Kochi on Friday declaring solidarity with the demand for the arrest of the bishop. A simultaneous stand-in protest was also held across the state on Friday in solidarity with the nuns.
The protest spearheaded by Save our Sister’s Action Council (SoS Action Council) in Kochi is expected to embolden further on Saturday with a slew of nuns and priests from Ernakulam district scheduled to visit the venue of the protest. Activist groups from other parts of the state have also given a call to “Kerala in Ernakulam on Sunday” as part of declaring solidarity with the agitation.
The Join Christian Council (JCC), one of the main organisations behind SoS Action Council, meanwhile has decried the position taken by the police that more time is needed for investigation as the case is four years old. The affidavit submitted by the police is not in tune with the facts, JCC said in a statement on Friday.
“It is a matter of surprise that the high court has taken the argument of the police in its face value”, the statement said. The JCC has also called for a probe into the economic resources of the family members of the Bishop Franco by the agencies concerned. The mystery behind the rags to riches story of the family members of the bishop is a matter of mystery, the statement said.
MJ congregation booked for circulating victim pic
The police on Friday registered a case against the Missionaries of Jesus congregation for circulating the photo of the nun who levelled allegations of rape against Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal.
Earlier in the day, the congregation released on its letter head the photograph of the nun along with the report of the preliminary investigation it conducted into the allegations. It showed the nun sitting along with Bishop Franco and a group of people at a private function on May 23, 2015 and said she appeared pleasant in the photograph along with the bishop.
Kottayam district police chief S. Harisankar told DC that a case has been registered against Sister Amala, the public relations officer of the MJ congregation, for disclosing the identity of the victim. The police will record the statement of the nun and will conduct investigation, said sources. It is a punishable offence under Indian Penal Code to publish information that can lead to the revelation of the identity of the survivor of a rape.
The congregation said its inquiry has found that five nuns conspired against the congregation with the help of the four persons from outside who are in no way connected with the church. It also said after visiting the Kuravilangadu convent on May 5, 2014, Bishop Franco went to another place for overnight stay. The findings will be handed over to the police, it said.
After nun, MLA now threatens speaker
P.C. George, MLA, on Friday made a veiled attack against Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan saying that speakers who have scolded him earlier have not seen the Assembly again. Mr George while speaking at a meet the press programme at Press Club here denied giving reply to the speaker on his remarks against the Nun who gave complaint against the Jalandhar bishop. “I will discuss the issue with the ethics committee that investigates the case against me. Why is the speaker hesitating to get involved in P K Sasi issue,’’ he said.
