KOTTAYAM: The vicar of a church, who was missing from Sunday afternoon, was found dead in a well on the compound of the same church at Ayarkunnam in Kottayam district on Monday morning. The deceased was Fr. George Ettuparayil -55, vicar of St Thomas Church (Vellappalli Palli), Punnathura near Ayarkkunnam in Kottayam.
According to police, Fr. George went missing from Sunday afternoon. On the basis of a complaint filed by Church authorities, Ayarkkunnam police had taken a case by late evening and started search operations very late by the evening. In the massive searching resumed on Monday morning, Fr. George’s body was
recovered from the well near the church. With CCTV cameras in the church turned off before the priest went missing and his mobile phone found in silent mode, police registered a case for unnatural death and launched an investigation.
Hailing from Edathwa in Alappuzha, Fr. George Ettuparayil took charge as the vicar of the church after returning from abroad a few months ago.