KOCHI: A day after a contempt of court petition was filed by the Orthodox faction in the Supreme Court, the Jacobite Syrian Church authorities have claimed that they have the ‘original’ document of the 1934 constitution of the Malankara Church. Speaking to media persons in Ernakulam, the Jacobite authorities said that they obtained the document recently.
“The Orthodox faction has introduced a series of amendments to the original document. We are willing to hand over the document for any forensic test to prove that it is the original,” said Kuriakose Mor Theophilose Metropolitan, spokesperson of the Jacobite Church. The state government has asked the Orthodox faction to submit the original document of 1934 constitution which they have not submitted till now. “If the Orthodox faction has the original document then they can submit it. But they have not done so which proves that they are bluffing,” said Theophilose.
The Orthodox Church was attempting to prevent the implementation of the Supreme Court order fearing that the veracity of document, which they were relying upon in court cases, would be exposed, said Joseph Mor Gregorios, Metropolitan Trustee of the Church. “We are now disputing the credentials and the authenticity of the document presented by the Orthodox Church in courts. We would also try to appraise the court regarding the fresh evidence in the case,” said Peter K Elias, laity secretary of the Jacobite Church.