A court in Kerala, India, is expected to deliver its verdict soon in the trial of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is charged with raping a nun.

The charge involves allegations dating back to 2014, which the bishop denies. Several members of the accuser’s religious order charge that they were disciplined because they demanded an investigation of the charges.

Bishop Mulakkal stepped aside from his post as head of the Jullundur diocese in 2018, allowing Pope Francis to appoint an administrator to manage the diocese until the criminal charges were resolved.