KOCHI: The Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese on Wednesday dismissed reports of police raiding the office of former spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church and editor of the Church-run weekly, ‘Satyadeepam’, Fr Paul Thelakkat, and seizing an incriminating hard disk as false and baseless. An official statement was released by the PRO of the Archdiocese Fr Paul Karedan on Wednesday.

Fr Thelakkat is accused in the case of allegedly using forged documents to defame Cardinal George Alencherry. According to official sources, the team probing the case visited Fr Thelakkat’s office on Tuesday and collected evidence from the priest.

The visit was part of cross-checking the priest’s statement that the document which he handed over to the Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Mar Jacob Manathodath was received via e-mail.

Fr Karedan in the statement said the priest had given a statement before the Aluva DySP in connection with the case.

“The priest had handed over all the documents in his possession to the police, but the officials told him such documents can be accepted only after studying the legal formalities for accepting it. The police visited the priest and accepted print-outs of these documents the other day,” said the statement.