KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday issued notice to Cardinal Mar George Alencherry on a petition seeking an investigation into the controversial land deal involving the Syro-Malabar church.
The notice was issued on the petition filed by Joshy Varghese of Perumbavoor challenging Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate VIII’s refusal to order a special investigation by the police. However, the magistrate’s refusal to order an investigation will result in the miscarriage of justice, the petitioner submitted before the HC.
Besides the Cardinal, priests Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakkumpadan have been named as the opposite parties in the petition.According to the petitioner, the report of the enquiry committee constituted by the Presbyterian Council clearly indicated the accused are ‘contumaciously’ guilty of the offences alleged. He also alleged hasty attempts were made by the Archdiocese to hush up the entire issue as an internal issue. Since the respondents are only trustees of the property belonging to the diocese, their action should be transparent.
The petitioner sought a directive to the Judicial First Class Magistrate -VIII, Ernakulam to forward the complaint to the police for registering a crime and investigation into the land deal. Earlier, seeking a special probe by police or the economic offences wing (EOW) of the state government, the petition filed before the Magistrate Court had said the documents involved in the case are voluminous and the offences are spread over the jurisdiction of different police stations and different village and districts.