The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal seeking directions to discharge him from the nun rape case without a trial claiming he was innocent. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde dismissed the plea saying, "We are not saying anything on merit but we are dismissing on discharge."

Mulakkal has filed the discharge plea claiming innocence and that he was implicated after he questioned the financial dealings of the victim nun. He approached the top court after the Kerala High Court rejected his plea for discharge from the case.