The role of at least three cops, including one senior officer, is under scanner with regards to allegations of misappropriation of Rs 6.65 crore levelled by priest Anthony Madassery. According to sources, eyewitnesses have told IG (Crime) P K Sinha, who is heading the SIT probing the case, that four vehicles left the priest’s residence after the raid. While cash was in two out of these, those detained travelled in the other two along with the police.
An official with the Khanna police said: “When police team reached Khanna, the money kept in a Brezza car was handed over to the senior officials. No other vehicle carrying money was handed over. Police is investigating as to where is that second vehicle, which allegedly carried cash.”
IG Sinha spent nearly two hours at priest’s residence on Sunday and recorded the statements of the several eyewitnesses. Some statements were also recorded on Monday at police lines, Jalandhar.
During the recording of these statements, some witnesses told the IG that there were around seven vehicles, including some belonging to visitors, which were parked there at the time of raid. They added that out of these police took four vehicles along — an Innova, a Brezza, an EcoSport and one car that looked like a Maruti Esteem.
“They took money in two vehicles — Brezza and Esteem-type car, while the Father and Harpal Singh, landlord of the building which house offices of firms run by the priest, were taken in an EcoSport. Four others were taken in the other vehicle…Cash was kept in over a dozen cartons,” one eyewitness told the SIT.
Sources said that police is now investigating whether these allegations are true or not and probing the role of the cops who had come to raid the house of priest on March 29.
Around 8-9 cops, including some in civil dress, had raided the place of Father Anthony at Partapura village in Jalandhar on March 29 afternoon and took him along with five others. They had seized cash amount Rs 9.66 crore.
Later, Father Anthony alleged that the cash recovered was around Rs. 16.65 crore which police took, but declared a lesser amount.
Police sources said that one eyewitnesses told police that money was kept in cartons because in the same cartons books were supplied to schools and then the collection from them received.
