NCW requests Kerala CM Pinaryi Vijayan in Bishop Mulakkal case

New Delhi, Feb 6: National Commission for Women (NCW) has written a letter to Kerala CM Pinaryi Vijayan requesting transparent probe into allegations against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

NCW said, "to take prompt action to ensure prevention of sabotage of material evidence and witnesses in pending case against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, so that justice may prevail."

The NCW had accused the Catholic Church of not protecting the interest of a nun, who has alleged that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal raped her in 2014. The church was in the process of "glorifying" the Bishop arrested for raping her, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma alleged.

She slammed the church for not implementing its directive to constitute internal complaint committees in their institutions where many nuns are serving, saying such a mechanism was a must for protecting them from harassment.

Mulakkal, who was Bishop of Jalandhar diocese, was arrested in September 2018 for allegedly raping the nun at Kuravilangadu in Kottayam district. In her complaint to the Kottayam police in June, the nun had alleged that Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions.

However, Mulakkal has denied the charges. He was later granted conditional bail in the case.

(With PTI inputs)