Hegde’s remark a painful assault on the dignity of Dalits: Mevani

Kottayam, Mar 16: A trial court in Kerala  on Monday dismissed a discharge petition filed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal, in connection with the case of alleged rape of a nun in which he is the prime accused.

In his plea filed before the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Mulakkal had claimed that prima facie there was no case to frame charges against him.

Dismissing the plea, the trial court said the bishop should stand for trial in the rape case.

The bishop's lawyer said an appeal would be filed in the High Court against the trial court order.

The prosecution had filed its objection to the plea filed by the bishop, accused of raping and sexually assaulting a nun of the same diocese.

The bishop had filed the plea just ahead of commencement of the preliminary hearing on charges against him in January this year.

The case is based on a complaint filed against the bishop by the nun.

In her complaint to the police in June, 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the bishop during the period between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation Team which probed the case, has been charged with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation.

Bengaluru, Jan 8: CISF personnel at Bengaluru airport on Wednesday detained two persons after they found two live bullets in their baggage during the routine inspection.

The detained person, said to be of a Mangaluru origin who arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning has claimed to be serving the American military. His mother who had arrived with him too has been taken into custody.

According to officials during the questioning, the man said that he was on a leave and that as he had hurriedly packed his belongings at the last minute there was a possibility that the bullets might have fallen into his bag mistakenly.

Mangaluru, July 10: Dakshina Kannada, which has emerged as one of the hotspots of covid-19 in Karnataka, has recorded at least six novel coronavirus related deaths in past 24 hours. 

According to sources, four people lost their battle with the novel coronavirus in Wenlock, the designated covid hospital. 

A 35-year-old man from Hosabettu, who was tested positive for COVID-19 recently, died at the Wenlock COVID hospital in the morning.

A 58-year-old woman from Thokkottu, a 67-year-old man from Ullal and a 65-year-old man from Falnir also passed away in the same hospital. 

Two other covid patients passed away in private hospitals. 

With this, the total number of death of covid patients in the district rose to 36.