KOTTAYAM: The investigation team is likely to arrest Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulackal in connection with the sexual abuse case. The investigation team has decided to seek the permission of IG to arrest the bishop in the high officials meet on Monday. The investigation team had found out that the bishop lied in his statement. Moreover, it has also been told that there is strong evidence against him. The statement of the bishop that he had not visited the convent in Kuruvilangadu was proved to be a lie.

The arrest will be registered after calling Franco Mulackal to Kerala. The police had gone to Jalandhar and interrogated bishop for about nine hours. The investigation team has taken the stand that an arrest is inevitable in order to go forward with the investigation. The nun alleged that the bishop had sexually abused her 13 times during 2014-16 in Kuruvilangad convent. Visitors’ register has bishop’s name in it. Medical report and statements from other nuns of the convent are also against the bishop. The investigation team is preparing for the arrest after considering all these evidences.

The complaint filed against Franco Mulackal alleges that he had sexually abused mother superior of Missionaries of Jesus convent in St. Francis Mission Home in Nadukunnam, Kuruvilangad while he reached there to participate in a meeting of bishops on May 5, 2014. It has also been alleged that she was sexually abused in the convent 13 times during 2014-16. The complaint was filed by the nun to Kottayam district police chief Harishankar. The nun had also repeated this in the five-hour long interrogation.