JALANDHAR: Father Kuriakose Kattuthara of St. Mary’s Church in Dasuya who had testified against Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the nun rape case was found dead in his church on Monday.

This has shockingly come exactly six days after Bishop Franco Mulakkal was granted bail in the case in which he was accused of raping a nun in Kuravilangad seminary multiple times.

Kattuthara had stood by the protesting nuns and given his statement to the police to help them.

Following Fr. Kuriakose’s death, his brother and sister-in-law has come out to say that there is some mystery behind his death. “Father Kuriakose was attacked once and threatened several times after he testified against the Bishop. He told us that he had received death threats several times. His house and car were stoned and damaged by a mob once. Another time, Bishop Franco Mulakkal had visited his church and spoken against him to his parishioners. Father was not around then. In his final call to us last week, Father Kuriakose said that if Bishop Franco gets bail, his death would be happen soon, and asked us to pray for him,” Jose Kattuthara, Fr. Kuriakose’s brother told media.

Jose who works in a restaurant in Alappuzha and his wife Elsamma filed a complaint with the Cherthala police on Monday asking that Fr. Kuriakose’s autopsy should be done in Kerala, stating that they do not trust the Jalandhar police.

The relatives said that they had no faith in Jalandhar police and want the autopsy to be done in Alappuzha. “They want to make it look like a natural death. We feel this is the result of Fr. Kuriakose giving statements against Franco,” Jose said.

The 62-year-old deceased father had been under the Jalandhar diocese for the past 33 years.

Father Kuriakose was a vocational teacher at the Jalandhar diocese; he had taught the survivor nun and the other nuns who sat in protest against the bishop. Prior to his death, Father Kuriakose had given a statement against Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Meanwhile, church authorities said that Fr. Kuriakose was a heart patient, but the couple denied this. “Though my brother was a diabetic and BP patient, he had no major health problems,” read the complaint by Jose Kattuthara to the CM of Kerala.

Elsamma adds that her brother-in-law knew well Franco’s modus operandi.

“Bishop Franco managed to reach this position, though several other clergymen were eligible for the post. The bishop’s character is known to all and Fr Kuriakose’s death might have been act of vengeance,” she said.

A few nuns at the St. Paul’s convent in Dasuya had found the father not opening the door when then knocked on it, according to a press note issued by the church. When the church authorities broke open the door Father Kuriakose was seen lying down with his mouth covered with vomit. Soon he was taken to the Civil Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Jose Kuriakose in his letter to the CM, has sought the government’s intervention and necessary steps to find out the real cause of death.