Kottayam: The Pala judicial first class magistrate court adjourned the hearing of the case to June 7 and extended the bail of Franco Mulakkal, accused in the Kerala nun rape case. A copy of the charge sheet, which is over 2,000 pages, and other documents were handed over to the accused. 

Mulakkal has been accused of raping a nun in Kerala multiple times between 2014 and 2016. Mulakkal faces five charges, including rape and unnatural sex. 

The accused arrived at the court accompanied by a few priests from Pala at around 10.20 am. The former bishop also spoke to a group of women, who came to the court from Alappuzha to meet him.

Before coming to the court, Bishop Franco visited St Alphonsa Pilgrim centre, Bharanganam at 9.30 am and offered special prayers at the tomb of St Alphonsa.

Mulakkal also submitted a diary at the court. According to him, the diary contains all the things he has to present before the judiciary. At the tomb, he also prayed for truth to prevail.

Deputy superintendent of police K Subhash arrested Mulakkal on September 21, 2018. The arrest came after a group of nuns protested against the delay in arresting him. 

Five nuns from a convent in Kottayam Kuravilangadu seminary staged a protest on September 8, 2018, in front of the Kochi high court against Mulakkal. This might be the first incident in the history of churches where nuns have held a public protest.

Meanwhile, on January 16, four out of the five nuns, who staged a protest on September 8 in front of Kochi high court against then Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, received transfer orders too.