Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, was interrogated for more than eight hours by the state police for the second day on Thursday. The questioning will continue on Friday.
"We had decided to complete the interrogation today. But it could not be completed even after 7:30pm. Verification is required in matters so far placed before the investigation team and that will be completed by tomorrow morning,” said Kottayam Superintendent of Police Hari Sankar.
Mulakkal was questioned for more than seven hours on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Kerala DGP Loknath Behera said the decision on whether to arrest Mulakkal would be taken in the next couple of days. He said the investigating officer was free to take a call on the issue.
When asked if Mulakkal can be arrested before September 24, the day his anticipatory bail plea will come up for hearing in the High Court, Behera said, "I think, 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."
The 'Save Our Sisters' forum, which is spearheading a protest by a group of nuns in Kochi, expressed disappointment over the delay in the arrest of the bishop.
“We feel cheated,” said Fr Augustine Vattoli, convenor of the forum.
Meanwhile, the Vatican, on Thursday, temporarily relieved Mulakkal of his duties. Agnelo Rufino Gracias, who is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay, has been given charge of the diocese.
A communique from the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to India said on Thursday that the Pope received the request to relieve Mulakkal temporarily. “Having considered the circumstances, the Holy Father has accepted this request of Bishop Mulakkal and has appointed Rt Rv Agnelo Rufino Gracias, titular bishop of Molicunza and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of Bombay, as apostolic administrator of the diocese of Jalandhar,” the communique read.
Mulakkal had written to the Vatican on Tuesday, requesting that he relieved of his duties temporarily in order to concentrate on the case.
Mulakkal has been accused of repeated rape and sexual assault by a Kerala-based nun of his own religious order, but he has denied the allegations.