Senior priest Father Kuriakose Kattuthara who had testified against former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal accused of raping a nun, was found dead Monday morning, reports said.
His family said they suspect foul play.
His brother Jose Kattuthara told local news channels that church authorities from Jalandhar called hi this morning and informed him that he was found dead in his room which was locked from inside. Church officials reportedly told the priest’s brother that he possibly died of a heart attack.
But Jose Kattuthara remains suspicious. He said he would be filing a complaint and will move the Kerala high court to cancel Franco Mulakkal’s bail.
Father Kuriakose Kattuthara had claimed that there were attempts by the church to hush up the sexual assault complaint of the nun against bishop Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese.
He had also said that many of the nuns who had left the church had approached him with complaints against the bishop. They refused to reveal the truth because they were afraid of Mulakkal, Father Kattuthara had claimed.
Bishop Mulakkal was arrested late September and spent three weeks in jail before he got bail earlier this month.
The nun had accused him of raping her multiple times between 2014 and 2016.
Prasanta Patnaik