Bishop sent to Kerala jail, bail hearing on Thursday
Kottayam (Kerala), Sep 24: Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on charges of raping a nun, was on Monday sentenced to two weeks judicial custody by a magisterial court while the Kerala High Court posted his bail plea for a Thursday hearing.
Judge M. Lekshmi of Pala Judicial Magisterial Court sent the bishop to the Pala sub-jail as the police did not seek his custody.
He was presented in the court after his two-day police custody ended on Monday.
Even as he was being produced before Judge Lekshmi, his counsel moved the Kerala High Court in Kochi seeking his bail.
When the High Court posted the matter for Thursday, the bishop was sent to the Pala sub-jail.
Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, Punjab, became the first bishop in the country to be sent to jail on charges of raping a nun.
On Saturday, the magisterial court had rejected his bail and sent him to police custody. A medical check-up of the bishop was conducted at the Kottayam Police Club.
Mulakkal was arrested on September 21 after three days of questioning, he was accused by a nun of repeatedly raping her between 2014 and 2016.
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Two held for Rs 1.13 crore gold theft at Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan residence in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Shivajinagar Police have arrested two persons for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth Rs 1.13 crore from the Pulakeshinagar residence of Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan.
The accused have been identified as Ameer Ahmed and his associate Syed Ameer, Deccan Herald reported.
Police said Ameer Ahmed is known to the family and is a distant relative of the minister’s mother, Sogar Khanam. He had been visiting the house regularly and had reportedly gained the family’s trust by offering assistance.
According to police, He had suffered losses in his travel business and was in financial distress. He had allegedly sought Rs 5 lakh as financial help from the family and expressed a desire to travel to Mecca. When he didn't get help, Ahmed allegedly conspired with his associate Syed and carried out the theft.
Investigators said the duo pledged the stolen gold ornaments at a private finance company and invested the proceeds in real estate ventures.
Suspicion arose after Ahmed stopped visiting the house, following the theft. He also stopped responding to phone calls. His mobile phone remaining switched off post the incident, further raised doubts, leading police to track and arrest him.
During interrogation, both accused reportedly confessed to the crime. Based on the information provided, police recovered the stolen gold ornaments.
