Major archbishop cardinal Mar George AlencherryKochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the registration of a case against major archbishop cardinal Mar George Alencherry and three others in connection with the controversial land deal involving the Syro-Malabar Church's Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
The court said criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and financial irregularities were evident in the deal. The court said there were discrepancies in the bank documents relating to the deal as well.
The findings of a commission appointed by the church and a middleman of the deal were contradictory, the court said.
The court slammed the police for not registering a case on the complaint regarding the deal, saying the cops' stance was in violation of a Supreme Court order. The court said the complaint and the documents enclosed contained adequate facts and it warranted the registration of a case.
The court vindicated the believers' right to complain against the clergy. It made it clear that the cardinal was subject to the law of the land. He also had the responsibility to protect the properties of the church. The court had enough grounds to believe that the land deal incurred losses to the church, the HC said.
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