MUMBAI (INDIA)
Crux
October 27, 2018
By Nirmala Carvalho
After the death of a witness against an Indian bishop accused of raping a nun, the diocese has called on the government to conduct an autopsy.
Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, 67, was found dead inside his room in Jalandhar Oct. 22, a week after Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar was granted bail by the state court in Kerala and went back to his diocese.
A 43-year-old nun made a formal police complaint against the bishop in June, claiming he raped her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Punjab-based Missionaries of Jesus congregation, but said the attacks happened at one of the order’s convents in the southern state of Kerala.
Mulakkal vehemently denies the charges, and claims the nun is retaliating because he initiated an investigation against her for an affair she allegedly had with a married man.
Kattuthara gave testimony against Mulakkal, and his family said they believe he was murdered for his actions, adding that “he was under tremendous pressure” to retract his statements against the bishop.
On Oct. 26, Bishop Agnelo Gracias, whom Pope Francis appointed apostolic administrator of Jalandhar on Sept. 20, issued a statement noting Kattuthara “suffered from a number of health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart ailments.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.