KOCHI: Kerala High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Muvattupuzha DySP on a petition seeking to initiate contempt of court case against him for not implementing the order to provide adequate police protection to Fr Thomas Paul Ramban, priest of the Orthodox faction, to offer prayers at the Marthoma Cheriya Palli, Kothamangalam.
The petition was filed by Fr Thomas Paul Ramban. He submitted that he was the vicar lawfully appointed under the 1934 Constitution by the Diocesan Metropolitan of Angamaly diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The Munsiff Court had restrained the members of the Jacobite faction from causing any obstruction to the petitioner and the High Court also upheld the order.
The petitioner pointed out that following the High Court order he went to the church. However, the police force under the leadership of the DySP restrained the vicar stating that since people were inside the church, it was not safe for them to enter into the church.
The petitioner alleged the DySP willfully disobeyed the order of the court. Hence, the inaction of the police in implementing the directive amounts to civil contempt of court.