The special investigating team (SIT) probing the rape case involving Bishop Franco Mulakkal is planning to hold inquiries in Jalandhar, where the bishop had been living as head of the local diocese.
The team plans to travel to the Punjab city next week, and hope that more people would come forward with complaints and crucial information against Mulakkal now that he has been arrested and sent behind bars under a 14-day remand on charges of raping a nun.
Challenges galore
The investigators are certain that evidence collected so far is not enough to ensure that the bishop gets the maximum punishment. People close to him have already moved to buy witnesses and others by spending money and exerting influence, they doubt.
The SIT has taken this factor also into consideration. Many people had declined to speak against the bishop when the police visited Jalandhar first. Their conclusion was that people were then threatened into silence. But now that Mulakkal is a prisoner, it is possible that more complaints could be heard in Jalandhar now.
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The police team would visit the diocese office and convents to hear nuns, priests and others. The team has already submitted a letter to the Jalandhar police commissioner, asking him to file cases against the bishop over complaints that may come up in that city. The SIT has already recorded statements from four of the 20 nuns who had left the church. The team will make efforts to meet the remaining ones and record statements.
Supplementary cases
Investigation into three cases that are supplementary to the rape case will be concluded this week. One case involves Fr James Erthayil, who is accused of trying to influence the witnesses. A second case is about attempts to endanger the victim. In the third case, a nun at the Missionaries of Jesus congregation stands accused of having published the photo of the rape victim.
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Details gathered from these cases will be used against Mulakkal when his bail plea is taken up at the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the authorities at the Kottayam Medical College have handed over the accused's potency test report to the police. They confirmed the clergyman is fine on this aspect.
Mulakkal was arrested at around 8 pm on Friday. He was produced in the Pala court on Saturday. After a two-day custody, he was produced again on Monday, when the court sent him to 14 days in remand.
The bishop was then lodged in the Pala subjail. His custodial interrogation that stretched for two days hasn't yielded much information. The SIT hopes to recover clothes he had used during days when he carried out his crime against the accusing nun, besides his mobile phone.
