Bengaluru: A Kerala court, had on August 13, framed charges against former bishop of Jalandhar Diocese, Franco Mulakkal, in the Kerala nun rape case.

The court read out the charge sheet to rape accused former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal and set the date for commencement of trial to September 16.

Meanwhile, Mulakkal denied the charges against him under various sections of the IPC including the punishment for offence for rape.

He has been charged under various sections of IPC including 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 377 (Unnatural Sex), 376 (c)(a) Sexual intercourse by person in authority 376(2)(k) (indulging in sexual intercourse by exhorting authority), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Mulakkal, who was granted bail in 2018, is accused of raping a nun belonging to the Order of Missionaries of Jesus several times between 2014 and 2016 at a convent in Kottayam district in Kerala.

Mulakkal was arrested following huge protests in Kerala and spent nearly 40 days in jail before he received bail.