KERALA: A first class court of the Pala Judicial Magistrate on Saturday extended the judicial custody of Bishop Franco Mulakkal for 14 days. The 54-year-old clergyman was produced before the court after after the initial remand period of 14 days got over.
However, his counsel informed the media that in the coming week, they will approach the Kerala High Court again seeking bail. On September 21, the police arrested Mulakkal after a nun had alleged that Bishop had raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May, 2014.
Mulakkal, who heads the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, Punjab, is the first bishop in the country to be sent to jail on charges of rape and since then he has been getting a steady stream of high profile visitors including leading politicians. Simultaneously, there were several attempts to gag the rape survivor by ways of inducements and threats.
