Kochi: Drama on 3rd day of grilling

Kochi: The third day of interrogation of bishop Franco Mulakkal was was full of drama. The superintendent of police, Kottayam, had said on Thursday that the interrogation will end on Friday and that a decision on his arrest would be taken immediately thereafter without any further analysis. But the officer went for a review meeting with IG Vijay Sakhare after the interrogation ended on Friday.

Earlier, it was learnt that the questioning would last only for a short  time as the police was on the verge of arresting the bishop. Some news channels telecast the arrest of the bishop at 1 p.m. without any official police confirmation. 

Six hours later around 6.45 p.m.,  Kottayam SP Hari Sankar came out of the interrogation facility and went for the review meeting with the Inspector-General (Ernakulam Range) of Police Vijay Sakhare. While coming out of the station, he told reporters that the arrest was not recorded yet.

Mr Sakhare said that any decision on the arrest could be confirmed only after the meeting. There was uncertainty whether the arrest would happen or not. After one hour, Mr Harisankar emerging from the meeting with Mr Vijay Sakhare told reporters that the bishop's arrest would be recorded immediately. 

Meanwhile, sources said that the arrest was recorded at 6 p.m. shortly after the interrogation.Mr Harisankar returned to the Crime Branch office at Tripunithura at 8.05 p.m. to record the arrest. At 8.10 p.m., the police bus which was used to carry accused persons in such cases left the place without the bishop inside the vehicle. A private tempo traveller reached the spot. 

However, the bishop left in a police jeep escorted by three police vehicles. The arrest proves that the police have received enough evidence to establish the guilt of the accused.