KOCHI: Franco Mulakkal bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, who is accused of raping a nun while in Kerala, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking an anticipatory bail.The bishop has contended before the high court that the allegations made by the complainant nun “is wholly concoted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance for the actions taken by the applicant (bishop) against the defacto complainant. The complaint is an afterthought and a vicious program to bring down the applicant who is holding a very high post in the congregation.”In the petition filed through advocate Vipin Naraynan, it is alleged that a woman had approached the superior general at Jalandhar in November 2016 and orally complained that the nun is having an affair with her husband. The superior general requested the woman to give a complaint in writing. A detailed email was sent by the woman narrating the entire incidents, with attachments containing a handwritten complaint, copies of chat messages, and also a photograph of the nun that was retrieved from the phone of the woman’s husband, the petition said.The woman who complained was a relative of the nun and she threatened to reveal everything through social media. So the superior general along with councilors met the bishop, who gave permission for conducting an enquiry. On the basis of the interim enquiry report, the nun was removed from her post of Kerala in-charge. The nun began creating issues at the mission home at Kuravilangadu. After an enquiry, she was transferred to Pariyaram but she has not taken charge yet citing medical illness, it is alleged in the bishop’s petition.Further, the petition said the nun and her family members had threatened the bishop of dire consequences if he continues to take adverse actions against the nun. There were threats that he will be manhandled if he sets foot in Kerala. The PRO of the Jalandhar bishop house had filed a complaint before Kottayam district police chief on June 21, 2018. It is after filing of this complaint that the nun made the false allegation of rape, the bishop has claimed.

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