Kerala Police Summon Missionaries of Jesus Officer for Releasing Nun's Photo

Kottayam (Kerala): Expanding its probe in the case of alleged rape of a nun by a Roman Catholic bishop, Kerala police Tuesday issued a notice to the PRO of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation asking her to appear before it over a complaint about releasing a photograph of the alleged victim.

The congregation, to which both the alleged victim and accused Franco Mulakkal belong, had openly come out in support of the bishop.

The congregation had released a photo of the nun seated with her alleged tormentor in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines, which prohibit revealing the identity of a victim of sexual assault.

Mulakkal was arrested last Friday.

A day after the bishop was sent to judicial custody, the Kuravilangadu police sent the notice to the congregations public relations officer sister Amala asking her to appear before the probe team in seven days.

The congregation had put out the photograph in a release issued to the media for publishing the findings of its internal enquiry commission, which went into the nun's allegations.

The congregation, however, had cautioned against publishing the photograph, saying it cannot be held responsible if the press violated the rule.

The case was registered at Kuravilangadu police station in Kottayam district on a complaint by the alleged victim's brother.

Meanwhile, the nun Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Kottayam Superintendent of Police against independent MLA P C George, accusing him of using abusive language against her at a press conference recently.

The complaint has been forwarded to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, police said.

George, the lone Independent MLA in the Kerala assembly, had demanded that the nun disclose the reason for not reporting the incident earlier. He had also made some other "objectionable" remarks against her.

Terming the language used by the MLA as "deeply disturbing", the National Commission for Women (NCW) had condemned "such objectionable and derogatory statements made by a person who occupies a responsible position in the society"