KOCHI: The long-running Orthodox-Jacobite Church dispute is on the boil again with the High Court on Monday ordering the respective district collectors to take possession of six churches in Ernakulam and Palakkad that are under the control of the Jacobite faction.
The HC had earlier directed the Ernakulam collector to take possession of the St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Odakkali, St John’s Besphage Orthodox Syrian Church, Pothanickad, and St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Mazhuvannoor.
The Palakkad collector, said the HC, should take over the St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Mangalam dam, St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Erickinchira and St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Cherukunnam.
Justice V G Arun orally observed that the court may summon the collectors as well as the chief secretary if the directive is not complied with.
The court said it gave the government an opportunity by directing the collectors to take over the churches. But that did not mean the court was not serious about it, the HC said.
“The takeover of the churches must happen in a week. Else, the officers including chief secretary will have to spend time in court,” the judge said, adjourning the case to October 7.
When the contempt case came up for hearing, advocate Shyam Prasanth T S, government pleader, said a division bench had stayed the single judge order for 10 days on September 26.
The division bench issued the order on the appeals filed by the Jacobite faction, and will consider the appeal at 2pm on Tuesday, he said.