Kerala nun rape case: Accused bishop Franco Mulakkal arrested Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, was arrested on Friday after 22 hours of questioning that lasted for over 3 days at a special interrogation centre in Tripunithura. The arrest happened 85 days after an FIR was registered to name the Mulakkal as accused on June 28. KOTTAYAM: Bishop Franco Mulakkal became the first bishop in the country to be put behind bars as he was remanded in judicial custody by judicial first class magistrate court in Pala on Monday. Magistrate S Lakshmi issued orders to lodge him in the sub jail in Pala till October 6. The Bishop was unmoved as the magistrate announced that he would be sent to the prison.The bishop finds himself in jail 89 days after the nun had filed the police complaint of sexual abuse by the bishop at the Kuravilangad convent during the period 2014-16. The identity of the bishop will be 'remand prisoner number 5968' during the remand period.The bishop arrived at the jail by 2.25pm and had a late lunch before being led to the cell number 3 in the jail.For lunch, he had fish curry along with meals. In the cell he has the company of two accused persons in petty cases. One person was punished for a drunken brawl and the other is an accused in a property dispute case.Based on the direction of the magistrate, the bishop was subjected to a medical check-up in the jail also. According to jail authorities, the bishop appeared relaxed and did not raise any particular demand so far.Earlier in the day, the bishop was produced before the court after two days of interrogation under police custody around 1pm. The probe team did not move court to extend the custody period of the bishop.Before pronouncing the order, the magistrate asked the bishop whether he wants to inform the court anything. The bishop informed the court that the probe team took the clothes he wore after the arrest which includes kurta and paijama. The counsel of the bishop Adv Jeno Antony later explained to the court that there was no need for the probe team to seize the clothes which the bishop wore. He informed the court that such a procedure was unheard so far. The magistrate said that she would record the apprehension of the accused in the court records.The bishop was arrested on Friday 8pm after an interrogation of three days. He was produced before the court in Pala on Saturday. The court had dismissed the bail plea of the bishop and had permitted the probe team to keep him in custody till 2.30pm on Monday.

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