The four nuns from the Kuravilangad convent who demanded the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal and were issued transfer orders have written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting him to intervene in the matter.
The four nuns were transferred to four different places vide the transfer order issued on Wednesday.
In their letter to the CM, the nuns reportedly said that the Bishop is very powerful and can sabotage the case.
They also asked the CM to ensure that they live in the present convent and are not transferred.
Requesting Vijayan to see that the transfer orders were revoked, the nuns stated that their only agenda is to remain with the victim, who was yet to receive any sort of support from the Church and was only banking on them.
Seeking the intervention, they pointed out that these transfers were effected as they were all witnesses in the case against the then Roman Catholic Diocese head in Paunjab’s Jalandhar, Bishop Mulakkal, who is accused of raping the victim nun repeatedly between 2014 and 2016.
The nuns, who are attached to the Mother Superior of the Missionaries of Jesus, had refused to accept the transfer orders and said they would remain in the convent at Kottayam, where they are currently posted.
In the wake of the controversy generated with the transfer orders, the Mother Superior of the Missionaries of Jesus said that it was a routine transfer that happened regularly.
Mulakkal was arrested on 21 September 2018 on rape charges after the four nuns joined the public protest in Kochi that forced the police to succumb to pressure from various quarters and take strong action against the bishop. Mulakkal had secured bail on 16 October 2018 and was back in Punjab.
(With agency inputs.)