Kerala nuns oppose Crime Branch probe into bishop abuse case
Kochi, Sep 9 : A group of Catholic nuns on Sunday opposed a Crime Branch probe into a case where a bishop allegedly sexually abused a nun.
"We have heard that a Crime Branch probe is being planned. This is only meant to delay the proceedings. We are happy with the present police probe. The higher officials do not want us to get justice," a group member told the media.
On Saturday, the nuns attached to a Catholic convent near Kottayam to which the alleged victim also belonged, started an indefinite fast programme organised by the Joint Christian Council here to pressurise the state government to act against the accused, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar.
The protest was called due to the fact that since the case was registered 75 days ago, the police have taken 12 statements from the victim while only one from the accused bishop.
Meanwhile, Kerala Police Chief Loknath Behra has dismissed claims of a Crime Branch probe.
"I am yet to review the case as it is being handled by the Inspector General (IG) of Police. The IG is happy with the progress in the investigation," Behra told the media on Sunday.
Sources closed to the victim said that a press conference which she was slated to address has been cancelled and will now directly approach the Kerala High Court seeking justice.
In June, the victim alleged that Mulakkal sexually abused her several times between 2014 to 2016. An FIR was registered against the bishop and a 114-page detailed statement was taken from the nun and other inmates of the convent.
However, Mulakkal has denied any wrongdoing.
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Indians in US rush to schedule preterm deliveries ahead of Trump’s birthright citizenship order
With the February 19 deadline for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending automatic birthright citizenship fast approaching, Indian parents in the United States are scrambling to arrange preterm deliveries. The new order challenges the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all children born on U.S. soil, except for children of foreign diplomats.
The executive order impacts not only undocumented immigrants but also non-citizens legally residing in the U.S. on temporary visas, such as H-1B, L1, tourist, and student visas. Children born after February 19 to non-citizen parents will no longer qualify for automatic U.S. citizenship, disrupting long-term plans for thousands of families.
Indian-origin families, many of whom are awaiting green cards, are especially anxious. Some parents were counting on their children’s U.S. citizenship as a potential pathway to secure residency. Priya, an Indian woman expecting her baby in March, expressed her distress: “We’ve been waiting for green cards for six years. Our child being born here was the only way to secure stability. Now, we’re terrified of what’s to come.”
Maternity clinics and doctors are reporting an unusual spike in requests for preterm C-sections. Dr. SG Mukkala, an obstetrician in Texas, shared concerns over the health risks of preterm births, including underdeveloped lungs, feeding difficulties, and neurological complications. “I’ve spoken to 15-20 couples in the past two days, trying to explain the risks,” he said.
In New Jersey, Dr. SD Rama noted a surge in calls for early deliveries. “A seven-months pregnant woman came with her husband, asking to schedule a preterm birth, even though she isn’t due until March,” she revealed.
