Thrissur, April 9: In a first such incident, a senior Bishop will face trial based on the complaint of a nun. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala police on Monday filed the chargesheet against Franco Mulakkal, the former Bishop of Jalandhar Diocese of Catholic Church, accused of raping a nun multiple times.

The 54-year-old clergyman has been booked by the police under IPC sections 342, 376 (2)(k) and (n) , 377, and 506 (I). The filing of chargesheet has been welcomed by 'Save Our Sisters', a collective of nuns and members of the Church, calling it a historic day in the realm of law and justice. Missionaries of Jesus Gives Clean Chit to Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

The 54-year-old Bishop, who was jailed last year in Kottayam district based on the FIR registered by victim, is currently on bail.

The complaint against him was registered in June by the Kuravilangad police, after a nun alleged that she was raped by Mullakal at a guest house multiple times between May 2014 to September 2016.

The nun said she had to approach the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman

However, Mulakkal has denied the charges as "baseless and concocted," insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.

Following the levellation of serious charges against him, Mullakkal had, in September last year, stepped aside as the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2019 05:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).