Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Kerala Nuns Launch Stand By Me After Rape Case
Three nuns in Kerala started a clothing business called Stand By Me.
One of them, Sister Ranit, had accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of rape.
The case received widespread attention, and Mulakkal was acquitted in 2022.
Ranit has challenged that decision, and the appeal is still pending.
In 2023, the nuns said their financial support stopped.
They found it difficult to get other work because of their connection to the case.
With sewing machines from supporters, they began making clothes and household items.
They have sold their products at exhibitions and hired two workers.
They hope the business will help them earn money and live more independently.
Sister Ranit MJ and two fellow nuns launched Stand By Me at their Kuravilangadu convent.
The venture began after their financial assistance reportedly stopped in 2023, leaving them seeking ways to cover basic expenses.
They sell nightdresses, churidar tops, co-ord sets, bags, table mats, runners and other home furnishings.
With help from well-wishers, they obtained sewing machines, held exhibitions in Kozhikode, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, and employed two workers.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal was acquitted in 2022; Ranit’s appeal remains pending in the Kerala High Court, while the diocese disputes the nuns’ account of abandoned support.
- Who
- Sister Ranit MJ and two other nuns from the Kuravilangadu convent; Ranit is the nun who accused former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal.
- What
- They launched Stand By Me, a clothing and home-furnishings venture to support themselves and help fund their ongoing legal battle.
- When
- The venture followed the reported stoppage of financial assistance in 2023; the nuns said they hoped to begin online sales within a month.
- Where
- The venture is based at a convent in Kuravilangadu, Kerala, with products displayed at exhibitions in Kozhikode, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.
- Why
- The nuns said they needed income for food, clothing and medicines after financial support stopped and outside employment proved difficult to obtain.
Nuns and Survivor
Diocese and Court Position
Financial support
Nuns and Survivor
The nuns say their allowances and other assistance stopped in 2023, leaving them without money for basic needs and prompting them to start the venture.
Diocese and Court Position
The Jalandhar diocese disputes that the sisters were abandoned and says the Mission Home continued to receive support from the diocese.
Rape-case verdict
Nuns and Survivor
Sister Ranit challenged the 2022 acquittal, and says the legal fight is not over.
Diocese and Court Position
The Kottayam Additional Sessions Court acquitted Franco Mulakkal, ruling that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt; the appeal remains pending.
- Venture
- Stand By Me
- Founders
- Three nuns from the Kuravilangadu convent in Kerala
- Products
- Nightdresses, churidar tops, co-ord sets, bags, table mats, runners and other home furnishings
- Financial support
- The nuns said their allowances and other support stopped in 2023
- Employment
- The venture has employed two workers
- Exhibitions
- Products have been displayed in Kozhikode, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram
- Legal case
- Franco Mulakkal was acquitted by the Kottayam Additional Sessions Court in January 2022; Ranit’s appeal is pending before the Kerala High Court
