ALAPPUZHA: The body of the priest who went missing at Edinburgh, Scotland, was found on a beach away from his residence. Relatives said they were informed about the body by the Malayalees in the area. Fr Martin Xavier, 33, Kannadi Vazhachirayil house, Pulinkunnu, Kuttanad, was found missing from his residence at Scotland after Tuesday.
The priest’s relatives suspect mystery in the priest’s death. “The body was found on a beach and it is far away from the residence,” they said. “The door of the room was found open and his passport was in the room.” “I have written to Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Scotland Consul General Anju Ranjan demanding an investigation into the death,” Kodikunnil Suresh MP said.
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has also written to Sushma seeking an inquiry into the death.
“He called us over phone till Tuesday. There were no more phone calls from him after that,” a relative said. “He was pursuing PhD and serving as the vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Corstorphine.
The parishioners, who did not see the vicar in the church for the morning Mass, went to his residence and found he was missing. Subsequently, the CMI church authorities alerted the CMI Ashram at Pulinkunnu and they informed us.”
Martin went to Scotland on July 15, 2016. He was ordained priest on December 30, 2013 and served as the vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Chethipuzha, Changanassery.