The Kerala nun who has accused a Roman Catholic Bishop of raping her has petitioned the Vatican representative in India to sack the clergyman, claiming he was using “political and money power” to ‘bury’ the case even as the Kerala government on Tuesday assured “justice will be done”.
Making a fervent plea for urgent intervention, the nun, in a scathing letter, also sought to explain her silence before coming out against the bishop, saying she had “tremendous fear and shame” and wondered why the church was “closing its eyes towards the truth”.
As the issue snowballed with continued protests seeking action against him, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese in Punjab rejected the charges as “baseless and concocted” and said he was open for probe. “If I am found guilty, which I am not, I am likely to be punished...I will appear before police if I am summoned. I am a law abiding citizen,” he told television channels in Jalandhar.
Accusing the nun of ‘blackmailing’ him, the Kerala priest also also hit out at those protesting against him.
Senior Kerala Minister EP Jayarajan rejected allegations of attempts to sabotage the probe and asserted it was proceeding in the “right direction.” “A very strong investigation is being carried out in the case. It is proceeding in the right direction. No accused would be allowed to escape the clutches of the law,” he told reporters in Kannur.
Combative MLA
Meanwhile, a combative PC George, Independent MLA from Kerala, who has been issued summons by the National Commission for Women (NCW) for calling the rape victim a prostitute, has scoffed at its directive to appear before it in New Delhi and proffer an explanation.
The NCW had said in a statement that it is deeply concerned by the MLA’s statements. “The Commission condemns such objectionable and derogatory statements made by a person who occupies a responsible position in the society,” it had said.
In his response couched in derisive language, George said the NCW can undertake his expenses for the trip to Delhi, or, if this is not acceptable, the Chairperson may travel to Kerala to hear him out.
Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson, retorted by saying on Tuesday that the Commission would be willing to pay for George’s trip if he gave in writing he was unable to cough up the fare by himself.
The NCW had served the notice on George on Monday, summoning him to its Delhi office on September 20 to provide an explanation for his remarks.