Rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal released on bail
Kottayam, Oct 16 : Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested over three weeks ago on allegations of repeatedly raping a nun, was released from a sub-jail near here Tuesday, a day after the Kerala High Court granted him bail.
A large number of people, including his supporters and Independent MLA P C George, greeted the 54-year-old clergyman as he came out of the sub-jail at Pala, 25 days after he was arrested following intense interrogation by the Kerala Police.
Some of the supporters were seen conducting "prayer meetings" in front of the prison's premises since morning in anticipation of the release of the bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese.
Mulakkal would first go to his residence in Thrissur and later leave for Jalandhar in Punjab, church sources said.
The court, while granting the conditional bail, had directed the bishop to leave the state within 24 hours of his release from the sub-jail.
Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan had also directed Mulakkal to surrender his passport and not to enter Kerala except for appearing before the investigating officer once in two weeks on Saturdays.
The bishop was arrested in Kochi on September 21 amid protests by a group of nuns and Catholic reformist outfits demanding action against him.
Ahead of his interrogation in Kerala, the Vatican had relieved him "temporarily" of all pastoral responsibilities as the bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation to which the alleged victim also belongs.
The nun had accused the clergyman of repeatedly raping and having unnatural sex with her between 2014 and 2016.
In a complaint to police in Kottayam in June, she has accused the bishop of raping her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploiting her on several occasions.
The nun had said she had to approach the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman.
However, Mulakkal had denied the charges as "baseless and concocted", and insisted that she had made the allegations as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
