The city police has registered a case against Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and head of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly and three others in connection with a series of land deals that reportedly resulted in financial losses for the archdiocese. The case has been registered under IPC Section 120B, 406, 415 and 420, police sources said.
The case has been registered following an order of the Kerala High Court on a writ filed by a Catholic layperson. The court observed that there was prima facie evidence to indicate criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and misappropriation of money in the land deals.
Along with the Cardinal, three others are subject of the investigation. They are senior archdiocesan functionaries Father Joshy Puthuva and Father Sebastian Vadakkumpadan, and a layperson Saju Varghese.
The case has been registered even as there was indication that the church functionaries planned to submit an appeal against the High Court directive for registering an FIR.
