Priest who was key witness in case of Indian bishop accused of sex abuse found dead

A key witness in the trial of a Indian Roman Catholic bishop, who is accused of repeatedly raping a nun, has been found dead.

Kuriakose Kattuthara, a priest who worked in India's Punjab state, died in his room just weeks after providing testimony against Franco Mulakkal. The cause of death remains unclear.

Bishop Mulakkal is accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a 44-year-old nun at a convent in the state of Kerala for over two years. She claims that he raped her 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

Police are investigating charges of rape, illegal confinement, unnatural sex and intimidation in relation to the case.

The case attracted national attention in India when the woman filed a police complaint in June. She claimed that church authorities had failed to take action when she approached them.

Other nuns in Kerala took an unprecedented step and staged protests outside the state's high court in early September, demanding the bishop's arrest.

Mr Mukkal was arrested and was released on bail last week. A crowd of supporters showered him with rose petals when he returned home.

The bishop, who denies the allegations against him, is currently awaiting trial.

Mr Kattuthara was among the witnesses scheduled to testify at the trial and in an earlier five page statement had said that nuns had told him many times about the bishop's "immoral behaviour", The Times of India reported.

An investigation has been opened into the 61-year-old's death. His brothers have claimed that he was threatened over his decision to testify.

“There was an attempt on his life earlier too," one, Joy Kurien, said. "His house and car were vandalised. We have no trust in the probe by Jalandhar police."

The Vatican temporarily removed Bishop Mulakkal from his post in the diocese of Jalandhar in northern India in September.