Claiming that there was no such law that barred arrest during the pendency of a bail petition, Kerala DGP Loknath Behra on Thursday said a decision on apprehending bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of rape by a nun, would be taken in a day or two.
Claiming that there was no such law that barred arrest during the pendency of a bail petition, Kerala DGP Loknath Behra on Thursday said a decision on apprehending bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of rape by a nun, would be taken in a day or two. Following a seven-hour interrogation, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala police resumed questioning the bishop on Thursday.
Behera said the investigating officer would decide on whether to arrest him once the examination was over. “After examining him only a decision will be taken. A decision will be definitely taken today or tomorrow after the interrogation,” Behera told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court agreed to hear Mulakkal’s anticipatory bail plea on September 25. The court also asked the state government to file an affidavit.
When asked whether Mulakkal can be arrested before September 25, the DGP said, “Legally there is no problem. There is no such law (that bars arrest during pendency of bail plea). That we will discuss with the legal team.” Citing convention, legal experts had said the priest was unlikely to be arrested before September 25.
Mulakkal, who has been accused by the nun’s of repeated sexual assault between 2014 and 2016, recently temporarily relinquished his administrative responsibilities. On Wednesday, activists of All India Youth Federation, the youth wing of CPI, waved black flags as the bishop came out of the police station after questioning.
Some people also burnt an effigy of Mulakkal. Kottayam Superintendent of Police Hari Sankar said the bishop’s questioning was likely to be over on Thursday. Meanwhile, police have tightened security in and around the crime branch office.
The protest by various Catholic reform organisations and a group of nuns seeking Mulakkal’s arrest entered Day 13 on Thursday. Mulakkal has maintained that the allegations against him were a “cooked up story to wreak vengeance” for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against the nun.
Behera said the investigating officer would decide on whether to arrest him once the examination was over. “After examining him only a decision will be taken. A decision will be definitely taken today or tomorrow after the interrogation,” Behera told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court agreed to hear Mulakkal’s anticipatory bail plea on September 25. The court also asked the state government to file an affidavit.
When asked whether Mulakkal can be arrested before September 25, the DGP said, “Legally there is no problem. There is no such law (that bars arrest during pendency of bail plea). That we will discuss with the legal team.” Citing convention, legal experts had said the priest was unlikely to be arrested before September 25.
Mulakkal, who has been accused by the nun’s of repeated sexual assault between 2014 and 2016, recently temporarily relinquished his administrative responsibilities. On Wednesday, activists of All India Youth Federation, the youth wing of CPI, waved black flags as the bishop came out of the police station after questioning.
Some people also burnt an effigy of Mulakkal. Kottayam Superintendent of Police Hari Sankar said the bishop’s questioning was likely to be over on Thursday. Meanwhile, police have tightened security in and around the crime branch office.
The protest by various Catholic reform organisations and a group of nuns seeking Mulakkal’s arrest entered Day 13 on Thursday. Mulakkal has maintained that the allegations against him were a “cooked up story to wreak vengeance” for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against the nun.