Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was questioned by the Kerala police for the second day over rape charges by a nun, has been temporarily relieved of his pastoral responsibilities by Pope Francis, the Catholic Bishop Conference of India (CBCI) said on Thursday.

The decision was welcomed by the group of nuns staging a protest for the past 13 days seeking justice for their fellow nun. They said it was their "first victory" in the struggle against the Bishop. The Pope appointed Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bombay Agnelo Rufino Gracias as the Apostolic administrator of the diocese of Jalandhar, a CBCI statement said. The announcement came even as SIT continued questioning the senior Catholic priest.