Cops to record Church heads’ statements

KOTTAYAM: The

police

team probing the alleged sexual abuse of a

nun

by Bishop

Franco Mulakkal

of the Jalandhar diocese will record the

statement

of Church heads, including cardinal George Alencherry. Apart from

Alencherry

, the probe team will record the statements of Pala

bishop

Joseph Kallarangatt and vicar of Kuravilangad Marth Mariam church Fr Joseph Thadathil.



This move comes in the wake of the statement given to the probe team by the nun that she had raised her complaint with the church heads. The investigation team can proceed to take the statement of the church heads only with the permission of the Kottayam SP. According to sources, the district police chief will need the clearance from the higher authorities of the department as Ḥwell as the government to give green signal to the probe team.

Meanwhile, the Changanassery magistrate handed over the copy of the sworn affidavit of the nun recorded under section 164 of the CrPC to the head of the investigation team, Vaikom DSP K Subhash. The officer will examine the sworn affidavit and the statement given to him before filing a primary report to the SP within two days. The district police chief will have to take a call on recording of statements of the church heads after this.

In another important development related to the case, the prime witness in the complaint given by the bishop told the probe team that he was forcibly made to write the letter, which was the basis of the complaint of the bishop. Sijoy told police that he was summoned to Jalandhar after providing him with air tickets and was made to write the letter. The bishop had complained that the nun’s brother had threatened to kill him. Police is probing the complaint as well.