Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted

Former Bishop of Jalandhar diocese, Franco Mulakkal, has reportedly been declared not guilty of raping a nun several times between 2014 and 2016.

A special court in Kottayam reportedly acquitted Mulakkal who was arrested in September 2018, three months after the nun filed the case. The court cited lack of evidence as the reason for clearing Mulakkal. The trial reportedly went on for over a hundred days.

The case had led to a 5-day protest by the complainant's fellow nuns, seeking action against the Bishop.

A special investigation team had been set up to probe the case, following widespread outrage. Charges against Mulakkal included wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex, and criminal intimidation, as per reports.

In his defence, Mulakkal had claimed he was being framed for taking action against the complainant nun for financial irregularities.

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