KOCHI: The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to re-investigate the Malankara Varghese murder case.
The court passed the order while considering a petition filed by Saramma Varghese, wife of the late Malankara Orthodox Church managing committee member Malankara Varghese. The petitioner contended that the chargesheet submitted by the CBI failed to include the names of many ‘higher-ups’ who were part of the conspiracy to kill her husband.
Malankara Varghese was hacked to death by a gang at Perumbavoor in December 2002.
The Kerala High Court ordered for a CBI probe in November 2007. The CBI charge-sheeted 19 people in the case and submitted that it was possibly owing to the feud between the two factions of the Church.
The CBI named Fr Varghese Thekkekara, manager of the Angamali diocese, as the prime accused in the murder.