Priest’s kin allege death unnatural

JALANDHAR: A four-member board on Tuesday conducted an in-camera postmortem of Father Kuriakose Kattuthara (61), a key witness in the Kerala nun rape case who testified against accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, at Dasuya Civil Hospital, officials said.
Kattuthara who was found dead in his room in the campus of the St Mary's Church, Dasuya, on Monday morning, told the local police that they suspected that he had died an unnatural death.

Following that postmortem examination was conducted at the Dasuya civil hospital on Tuesday evening. In his statement recorded with the police, deceased priest's brother Jose Kurian alleged that he and his family members suspected foul play in the death. After recording his statement, police started inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC and got the postmortem examination conducted by a board of four doctors. The autopsy process was video recorded.

Kurian was accompanied by his cousin John Thomas and nephew Jojo Thomas. "He discussed many times with me and our other brothers that he was under pressure and was being tortured by bishop Franco and his people. Fr Kuiriakose was the first priest who spoke against bishop Franco," the statement recorded by Kurian reads.

"His own parish members started to turn against him as the bishop directed them the statement adds.

Levelling another serious allegation, Jose's added, "Since the bishop came back on bail he was regularly mentally tortured and I and my brothers were told by him that very soon the bishop will turn against him. We were worried about him."

Hoshiarpur SSP J Elanchzian said that they would wait for postmortem report before proceedings further. The body was later taken to St Mary's Church in Jalandhar Cantonment where Jalandhar Diocese administrator Agnelo Gracias said prayers before carrying the body further to Ludhiana through ambulance where it would be embalmed at Christian Medical College.

His brother Jose told that on Wednesday they would fly the corpse from Delhi to Kerala.