Sister Lucy filed a police complaint against a catholic priest in Wayanad
Franciscan Clarist Congregation, part of the catholic Church, has issued a show cause notice to Sister Lucy Kalapura, the nun in Kerala who was expelled on disciplinary grounds, seeking an explanation on two police complaints filed by her over the last week and has warned of legal action if her response is not satisfactory.
On Monday, the police registered a case of wrongful confinement after Sister Lucy alleged she was locked up in the convent early in the morning. She had called the police to have the convent open, while the other nuns had reportedly gone to attend the morning prayers.
A day later, Sister Lucy filed a police complaint against a catholic priest in Wayanad, alleging the video he made against her attempted to humiliate and defame her character. The police has filed a case of insulting the modesty of a woman and defamation, against priest Father Noble and five nuns. The video made by the priest included commentary about the nun escorting "two unknown men to the convent from the backdoor", however, Sister Lucy later stated that the two men were journalists who came to get some information.
The Franciscan Clarist Congregation in the letter has given a clean chit to the priest and to the nuns, stating the motive of the priest in the video was to bring out the security concerns of the convent.
"No FCC sisters asked Fr. Noble to publish such a video and to put it in the Facebook. However, the FC Congregation does not consider that his act of publishing the video with the attached commentary amounted to criminal violation as per IPC section 509 for the following reasons: (1) The video furnished did not contain anything from your private life to infringe your right to privacy...",the show cause notice stated.
On the allegations of Sister Lucy being locked inside the convent, the congregation stated, "The Superior of the convent did not lock you up in your room. She only locked the convent before she went for the Holy Mass. It is her right and duty to keep the convent safe from criminals and trespassers. She is also duty-bound to safeguard the sisters inside. You were not left alone in the convent. There was another sister who was bedridden with fever in that convent at that time..."
Giving Sister Lucy three days to explain herself, the Provincial Superior of Franciscan Clarist Congregation has warned the nun demanding the withdrawal of the petition and an apology to the FCC. "Otherwise, the FCC may be compelled to approach the concerned civil authorities including the State Commission for Women against you for your willful misrepresentation of facts and for your defamatory attempts," the warning letter stated.
NDTV has requested Sister Lucy for her response in this case, but could not be available at the time of publishing this story.
Sister Lucy was expelled earlier this month amid controversy over the alleged rape of another nun. Now in her fifties, she lives in Wayanad district, and has claimed she is being targeted for participating in protests against rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.
The bishop is now out on bail, and the case against him is being heard in a Kottayam court.