Case against Missionaries of Jesus hours after it releases nun's photo with Bishop

Kottayam/Kochi: Kerala police Friday registered a complaint against the Missionaries of Jesus hours after the congregation released a photograph of the nun, who has accused a bishop of the religious order of rape, seated with her alleged tormentor in violation of the anti-rape law.

The congregation put out the photograph in a release issued to the media to publish the findings of its enquiry commission, which looked into the nun's allegations.

Indian laws prohibit revealing the identity of rape and sexual assault victims.

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

The case was registered by the Kuravilangadu police station in Kottayam district on the complaint filed by the alleged victim's brother, officials said. The convent is located within the Kuravilangadu police station limits. The nun's brother approached Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash, who heads the special investigation team, with the complaint, they said.

Sources said police will now record the statement of the nun.

The congregation claimed that the May 23, 2015 group photograph was taken when the nun was attending a private function along with Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

They claimed that the nun had attended several such functions with Mulakkal.

The nun has never appeared in public or in front of media after filing the complaint.

In a press release, the congregation accused the victim, her five fellow nuns and four others of conspiring against the bishop.

It alleged that the nuns had "violated the discipline of the congregation" several times and even refused to renew their vows-- a very important step in the life of a nun in a convent.

Framing charges against the nuns, the enquiry commission said the congregation was convinced that they were under the influence of "atheists" and their thoughts.

It claimed that the visitors' register, a key evidence for establishing Mulakkal's presence in the convent in Kuravilangad where the victim nun lived, was handled by a nun very close to her and they might have tampered with it.

It also accused the victim and her fellow nuns of forcibly shifting to their room the control system of the CCTV cameras from that of Mother Superior.