Nun rape case: Kerala HC dismisses discharge plea of Bishop Franco Mulakkal

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal seeking directions to discharge him without a trial from the rape case filed against him by a senior nun.

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal seeking directions to discharge him without a trial from the rape case filed against him by a senior nun. Franco, in his discharge petition, claimed that there was a lack of evidence to prove him a culprit. The plea submitted that there were contradictions in the recorded statements of the witnesses and therefore no proof was worth being upheld to proceed with the case.

However, the prosecution argued that Franco was deliberately trying to delay the trial in the case. A single-judge bench of Justice Shircy V dismissed the petition after hearing arguments from all the sides. During the hearing, the state government had also submitted before the court that enough evidence exists to continue the case against Mulakkal.

Earlier, Mulakkal's discharge petition was rejected by a Kottayam court, following which he approached the High Court. (ANI)