KOCHI: The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and a few parishes under it have filed a contempt of court petition before the Supreme Court against the State Government on Thursday for "wilfully disobeying and violating the top court’s verdict."
A petition seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings has been filed against the Chief Secretary, DGP and 18 other officials of the Kerala Government for willfully disobeying and violating the SC orders issued in July 2017, and February and July in 2019.
“Illegal possession of parish churches by the Patriarch group with the police’ support, conduct of religious services in some churches and cemeteries of the Orthodox Church with the police participation and conduct of a parallel administration by the Patriarch faction with the connivance of the respondent officials” are the key points of violation cited in the petition.
Wednesday’s statement by the Catholicos of Jacobite Church, Baselious Thomas I, that the Church would not surrender anymore of their churches to the Orthodox faction even if there was a court order has also been mentioned in the petition as an example of disobedience and violation of the SC judgment. “The visits of the Patriarch of Antioch as a state guest, and proceedings of a cabinet sub-committee to solve the disputes are disobedience of the SC order,” cited the Orthodox faction.