Nun rape case: Arrested bishop to be produced before Kerala court
Kottayam (Kerala) Sep 22 : Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been arrested in a nun rape case, will be produced in a Kerala court on Saturday, police said.
Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, Punjab, was arrested on Friday in Tripunithura after three days of questioning. He was to be produced in a Kottayam court the same day.
However, on the way he developed chest pains and had to be admitted in a hospital barely 10 km away from Kottayam.
After spending the night in the Cardiology Department of the state-run Kottayam Medical College hospital, the doctors decided to discharge him on Saturday.
As he stepped out, the public jeered at him. Mulakkal would be kept at the Kottayam Police Club till the time he was produced, the police said.
This is first time in the country that a bishop has been arrested for rape and the police have charged him for illegal confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation.
The action came after a nun complained that she was raped several times between 2014-16. The crime had occurred at a convent in Kottayam district.
The police probe team has till 8 p.m. to produce the bishop. Mulakkal's counsel would be moving a bail plea, while the police would seek his custody for three days.
The five nuns who took to the streets in Kochi in an indefinite protest demanding the bishop's arrest, on Saturday told the media the protest would be called off.
"This protest would not have taken place, had our church authorities taken our complaints seriously.
"We never did this for our benefit, instead we wanted to ensure that there would never be another bishop like Mulakkal who would turn a tormentor," said a nun before leaving to the protest venue.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KSRTC to run 1000 special services to clear Christmas rush
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1000 additional special services in view of the Christmas festival.
In addition to the existing schedule, the special services will run on 19.12.2025, 20.12.2025 and 24.12.2025. Further, special buses will be operated from various places of intra & Interstate places to Bengaluru on 26.12.2025 & 28.12.2025.
Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
ALSO READ: Bengaluru: Shopkeeper stabbed for refusing to serve free panipuri
Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
The corporation has also announced a discount of 5 per cent on the fare if four or more passengers book tickets under a single reservation. A discount of 10 per cent will be extended on return journey tickets if onward and return tickets are booked simultaneously.
In addition to the above, special buses will be operated from all Taluk/District Bus Stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs.
