Kochi: The Kerala police on Wednesday concluded the interrogation of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun several times, for the day. The grilling of the Bishop will continue at 11 am Thursday, district police chief, Kottayam, Harishankar said.
He told a group of mediapersons waiting outside the Crime Branch office at Thrippunithura on Wednesday, that the Bishop had been notified to appear again. Stating that the accused was cooperating with the investigation, the officer said a decision on the arrest would be taken after the interrogation got over.
"Since the questioning is going on, at the moment, we won't be able to share what the bishop had to say," Harishankar said.
The bishop told the police in Kochi that he was not at the Kuruvilangad convent in Kottayam on days when the nun said that he had sexually assaulted her and alleged conspiracy behind the case.
According to sources, the cops asked bishop Mullakkal to follow the order in the questionnaire while answering. The bishop also produced request to leave the order submitted by the nuns and some photographs while questioning.
A group of All India Youth Federation (AIYF) activists, waiting outside the gate of the crime branch office, jumped in front of his car when he was escorted out by police.
The protesters continued to shout slogans even after the Bishop left the place.
The window glasses of the car in which the Bishop had been travelling were covered to evade camera.
Though the he was asked to appear before the cops at 10 am, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, accompanied by his counsel and a few priests, arrived in a car around 11 am at the Crime Branch office in Thrippunithura.
Ahead of the questioning, top police officers - Inspector General Vijay Sakhre, Kottayam SP Harishankar and his deputy K Subhash held a meeting at the IG office in Kochi.
The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar was accompanied by his counsel and a few priests.
The bishop, who arrived in Kochi Monday evening, held discussions with his lawyers, sources said. The bishop then left for his relative's house in Thirssur.
If the authorities face any inconvenience in questioning the bishop at Thrippunithura, the cops had also made alternate arrangements at Vaikom and Kottayam to carry out the interrogation. Bishop's medical examination will be held at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
Security has been beefed up in the area. This is the second time the bishop is being grilled.
A team, headed by Vaikom DySP Subhash, had grilled the clergyman for 9 hours at the Bishop House in Jalandhar on August 15.
The police had earlier said there were a 'lot of contradictions' in the statements given by the victim nun, witnesses and the bishop.
The cops will simultaneously investigate all statements given during the grilling.
Mulakkal will not be allowed to return to Jalandhar until the completion of questioning.
Security at the three interrogation centres and St Francis Mission Home at Kuravilangad in Kottayam has also been beefed up.
Nun's sister hospitalised
Meanwhile, the nun's sister, who had been on a hunger stir, was moved to a hospital on Wednesday after her health condition deteriorated. She had joined a protest by various Catholic reformation organisations and a group of nuns seeking the bishop's arrest. The protest entered the 12th day Wednesday.
The Kerala High Court had postponed hearing on an anticipatory bail plea by the bishop to September 25.
The bishop, in his plea to the HC, alleged a conspiracy behind the case and said he was cooperating with the investigation.
The nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 during his visits to the Jalandhar diocese-run convent at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district.
The bishop has, however, dismissed the allegations as 'baseless and concocted.'
The nun had recently sought urgent intervention of the Pope for justice and demanded the bishop's removal.
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