Jalandhar
Bishop Franco Mulakkal was on October 17 given a rousing welcome on his return to Jalandhar, a town in the northern Indian state of Punjab.
The 54-year-old bishop, accused of repeatedly raping a nun, was released on bail a day earlier from a jail in Kerala, southern India.
He became the first Catholic bishop in India to go to jail for a sexual abuse case on September 21 when the Kerala Police arrested him after three days of interrogation. The Kerala High Court on October 15 granted him conditional bail.
At the Jalandhar reception, Bishop Mulakkal was seen smiling as his followers threw rose petals and garlanded him.
“The prayers of the people of Punjab supported me. I believe that they will pray for me even in the days to come. I thank everyone. Investigation is underway and I am co-operating. I’m a law abiding citizen and I trust the legal system of the country,” he told reporters.