Catholic priest, key witness against Bishop Franco Mulakkal found dead in Jalandhar

Thiruvananthapuram, October 22: Unfolding the cards by revealing the cruel face of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, a Catholic priest, one of the key witnesses in the nun rape case, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Dasuya in Jalandhar.

 

Father Kuriakose Kattuthara (62) had served as a priest in the Jalandhar diocese and had given a statement to the police against Bishop Mulakkal, who has been accused of raping a nun 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

The deceased priest had also served as a vocational trainer in a convent belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus, and had offered assistance to other nuns who had expressed their grievances against the Bishop.

Father Kattuthara’s family alleged that the priest had received death threats for speaking against the Bishop. Dasuya Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) AR Sharma told that no injuries were found on the deceased priest’s body. “He (Father Kuriakose) used to live at St. Paul’s Church in Dasuya. He was found dead there. He was 62. The matter will be investigated. I have been informed that no injuries have been found,” the officer said.

The DSP added, “It was found that he had vomited over the bed. Blood pressure tablets were found at the spot. An investigation is underway. In our notice, no security was provided to him.”

Bishop Mulakkal, who has been accused of subjecting a nun to unnatural sex on multiple occasions over two-and-a-half-years, is currently out on bail.

A large number of people, including supporters and Independent MLA P C George, had greeted the 54-year-old clergyman as he came out of the sub-jail at Pala last week, 25 days after he was arrested. The court, while granting the conditional bail, had directed the bishop to leave the state within 24 hours of his release from the prison.