Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Franco Mulakkal, the bishop of the Diocese of Jalandhar in the northern Indian state of Punjab. The bishop had been accused of repeatedly raping a nun over a two-year period in Kerala but was acquitted last year. The Vatican made the announcement on Thursday, providing no additional details regarding the decision.
Earlier on January 14 this year, the Additional District and Sessions Court, Kottayam had acquitted Franco Mulakkal, former head of the Latin Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, from the rape case.
After the court's judgment, the defence lawyers had claimed that the interview and examination of senior journalist Abhilash Mohan as a 'defence witness' proved crucial in the Bishop's acquittal.
The Kottayam court acquitting Bishop Franco Mulakkal while the survivor was expelled from her duties was a telling saga of how sexual predators not only survive but thrive in India.