THOOTHUKUDI: A 50-year-old priest attached to St Yacob Church in Toovipuram was attacked by a member of the diocese owing to previous enmity on Sunday. The priest was identified as Selvin Durai.
On Sunday, after the prayer session, Dinaharan, a member of the Thoothukudi CSI Diocese, visited the church along with his father, David, and his family members. He picked up a fight with the priest and attacked him with a knife. The priest, who sustained severe injuries, was admitted to a hospital.
The priest’s son Judson, an engineering student in a college at Chennai, attacked Dinaharan and his father in retaliation. Other members in the church intervened and separated them.
Based on a complaint Selvin Durai, Thoothukudi Central police registered an attempt to murder case against Dinaharan and his family members. Acting on a counter-complaint from Dinaharan, cops registered a case against Selvin Durai and Judson.
Police claimed that Dinaharan, who was married to Divya in 2009, divorced her and married another woman in Aug 2015. Selvin Durai had submitted a recommendation to the diocese management to dismiss Dinaharan as he had married again violating the diocese norms. Based on the recommendation of the priest, the diocese management removed Dinaharan from the membership . Enraged, Dinaharan and his family members attacked the priest, police said.