Bishop Franco Mulakkal, Accused Of Raping Kerala Nun, Steps Down
NEW DELHI: Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the accused in the Kerala nun rape case, has stepped down amid reports that the case has been brought to the notice of the Vatican. The church representative from India is in the Vatican and is likely to discuss the issue, news agency ANI reported.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal said in a letter, "I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and prayers for me at this time continued problems affecting my Episcopal ministry. As you have probably come to know from the media the investigation into the allegations raised against me there are several contradictions in the evidences collected against me as per the report of the police. It is reported I am likely to be called for further clarifications by the investigating officer in Kerala."
"I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation. In my absence Msgr. Mathew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as is the normal practice when I am away from the Diocese," he added.
Hours after the letter was released, Jalandhar police served a notice to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, to appear before the Kerala police on September 19.
The nun had recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded Bishop Franco Mulakkal's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth", when she had mustered courage to make public her suffering.
She alleged that Bishop Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to "bury" the case against him.
The nun has accused the clergyman of repeated sexual assault between 2014 and 2016.
The bishop has, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled charges against the catholic order as it had rejected her demand for favours.
Kerala police on Friday registered a complaint against the Missionaries of Jesus hours after the congregation released a photograph of the nun, seated with her alleged tormentor.
The congregation put out the photograph in a release issued to the media to publish the findings of its enquiry commission, which looked into the nun's allegations.
Indian laws prohibit revealing the identity of rape and sexual assault survivors and victims.
The congregation, however, cautioned against publishing the photograph, saying it cannot be held responsible if the press violates the rule.
The case was registered by the Kuravilangadu police station in Kottayam district on the complaint filed by the alleged survivor's brother, officials said. The convent is located within the Kuravilangadu police station limits.
The nun's brother approached Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash, who heads the special investigation team, with the complaint, they said.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
