Franco Mulakkal, the Jalandhar Bishop accused of rape by a nun, on Saturday asked his deputy to administer the diocese while he faces the police probe in Kerala, but insisted that he hadn’t stepped down yet.

“I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the probing the allegation. In my absence Msgr. Matthew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as the normal practice when I am away from the Diocese,” Mulakkal stated in his letter addressed to “Fathers, Sisters and Brothers”.

The statement was initially seen as an offer to step down.

James, the Bishop’s representative ruled out that he has stepped down. “He (Bishop) has only appointed Father Matthew to administer the functioning of the Diocese in his absence as Bishop is going to join the investigation in Kerala.”

On Friday, the Bishop received official summons from Vaikom (Kerala) deputy superintendent of police (DSP) K Subhash, who is heading the investigation in the case.

The Jalandhar commissioner of police (CP) Praveen Sinha served the summons to the Bishop, asking him to appear before them for the investigation on September 19.

The Bishop in his letter also requested prayers for him and for the alleged victim and her supporters who have come out against him so that the “divine intervention may bring about a change of heart and the truth of the matter may reveal”.

Catholic nuns in Kerala’s Kochi city have been on a protest for the last eight days demanding the arrest of Bishop. They have accused church officials of trying to scuttle their agitation with a combination of promises and intimidation.

The victim had recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the Bishop’s removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese.

She alleged that Bishop Mulakkal was using “political and money power” to “bury” the case against him.