KOLLAM: A Delhi-based Marthomite family with roots in Kalluvathukal, who are yet to come to terms with the incidents that led to a delay in the patriarch’s funeral, has filed a `50 lakh defamation suit against Church head Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan.
The case pertains to the funeral of Jacob Daniel, who had died on June 24. Though the Church gave its permission to conduct the funeral at Immanuel Mar Thoma Church in Kalluvathukal on June 27, the ceremony was delayed by a day after the alleged intervention of the Metropolitan.
Last Wednesday, Daniel’s elder daughter Elizabeth filed a case at the Delhi sessions court through lawyer M P Sinha, accusing the Metropolitan and three others of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The family contented that the Metropolitan delayed the funeral and caused disrepute to the family who had publicised the funeral dates through newspapers. The family also wants a public apology from the Church.
The three other respondents in the case are Rev Roby Mathew, the vicar of Karol Bagh, New Delhi; Rev John C Abraham, the vicar of Kalluvathukal; and Rev David Daniel, the secretary of the Trivandrum-Kollam diocese.
“We will press for civil and criminal cases if the Church does not respond. We are already in talks with two lawyers in case the case shifts to Kerala,” said son-in-law Arun Mathew. He said the Church has not responded so far to the notice, but there were attempts to broker peace.
In response to a query from Express, a spokesperson from the Mar Thoma Church said: “We haven’t received any legal notice. The allegations raised by the family are baseless. The Metropolitan has explained the events that led to the postponement of the funeral in the Church mouthpiece, ‘Sabha Tharaka’.”
Daniel, 67, of Shanti Bhavanam in Chathanoor was settled in New Delhi with his wife Saramma Jacob and two daughters. They were members of the Mar Thoma Church in Karol Bagh. He did not recover from a brain surgery, which left him in coma for 20 days. It was his wife’s wish that the body be buried at the family cemetery in Kalluvathukal. The body was flown to Kerala on June 26.
Arun said that the soft copy of the police NoC, death certificate and a letter from the Karol Bagh parish were given to the diocese on June 25 itself and later the hard copies were submitted when they arrived on June 26.“It was a harrowing time for a family. We will hold the ‘Thirumeni’ responsible for the agony we had,” said Arun.