Kochi, Sep 23(DC): Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on Friday in the case connected with the rape of a nun belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus, is allegedly involved in more cases of sexual harassment. “There are more complaints against the bishop,” Kottayam district police chief S. Harisankar told reporters in Kottayam. He, however, declined to elaborate further on the ground that it would impact the ongoing investigation.

Police sources said the team had received at least two more complaints. The team is expected to quiz the bishop about the matter during the next two days. Sources declined to comment whether the new complainants are nuns or not.
The new reports surfaced even as the nuns who staged a public protest in Kochi demanding the arrest of the accused said that more nuns were likely to come forward with their bitter experiences from priests.

Sr. Anupma, one of the five nuns involved in the protest, told reporters on the sidelines of a thanksgiving function held on Saturday that the arrest may embolden other nuns to open up. Unconfirmed reports had earlier claimed that a few nuns associated with the Missionaries of Jesus, a congregation coming under the Jalandhar diocese, had left the congregation due to the sexual aggression from bishop Franco. The bishop, who was remanded in police custody by a local court in Pala on Saturday, will be taken to St. Francis Mission Home at Kuruvilangad on Sunday for gathering evidence.

Bishop's bail plea rejected

A Kerala court on Saturday rejected the bail application of bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on charges of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun, and sent him to a two-day police custody. His lawyers moved the application seeking relief, submitting that the clergyman was arrested after a three-day long interrogation by the probe team. Opposing the plea, police said his three-day custody was required to conduct his potency test and to recover the laptop, mobile phone and the dress used by the accused.