The CBI on Monday submitted before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court that there is no evidence against Jacobite Church supreme head Catholicos Baselios Thomas - I in the murder of T M Varghese alias Malankara Varghese, managing trustee of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at Perumbavoor.
The CBI in its supplementary chargesheet also said that no other priests in the Angamaly diocese have any role in the murder case.
The CBI submitted that the statements of the witnesses in the case is not enough to arraign the Catholicos as accused in the case. Based on the allegations, the CBI had also questioned the Catholicos.
The CJM Court had ordered a further investigation based on a petition filed by Saramma Varghese, wife of the late Varghese. Varghese was hacked to death by a gang outside a car workshop on MC Road near Perumbavoor on December 5, 2002.
Though the murder was initially described as a result of business rivalry, his relatives suspected the involvement of the rival Church faction. The CBI had taken over the investigation following a High Court directive in 2007. The CBI first booked Joy Varghese alias Cement Joy who hired people to murder Varghese. He later confessed to the role of Fr Varghese Thekkekara, priest and the manager of the Angamaly diocese of the Jacobite Church, in the murder conspiracy. Fr Thekkekara was arrested by the CBI last year.
In the chargesheet, the CBI stated that Fr Thekkekkara handed over Rs 55,000 to the goonda gang leader through two other accused in the case. The CBI had filed chargesheet against 19 accused, including Thekkekkara.