Sexual Abuse Charges Surface Against Bishop
Diocese of Münster bars Bishop Karnam Dhaman Kumar from priestly duties as Church, Vatican authorities begin formal investigation into complaints dating back to 2005–2007.
Hyderabad: A formal probe has been initiated into sexual abuse allegations against Karnam Dhaman Kumar, the bishop of Nalgonda in Telangana, following a complaint received by the Diocese of Münster in Germany earlier this year. The diocese has barred him from carrying out any priestly duties within its jurisdiction and has also informed other Church authorities, while encouraging potential survivors to come forward.
The allegations, reported to the Diocese of Münster in March 2025, pertain to incidents that are said to have occurred between 2005 and 2007, when Dhaman Kumar was serving as a chaplain in the German city of Münster. A statement issued by the German Catholic Church’s official portal notes that the victim has also filed a petition for formal recognition of the suffering caused. According to reports, the case is currently under investigation.
Dhaman Kumar, who was appointed Bishop of Nalgonda by Pope Francis in February 2024, had earlier served as a priest in the Diocese of Münster from 2001 to 2012 and again from 2017 to 2020. He later moved to the parish of St Bartholomäus in Essen (Oldenburg) in 2020. He was ordained as bishop in India on April 30, 2024.
In a letter dated April 17, 2025, just weeks before Dhaman was due to visit the St Bartholomäus parish, the diocesan administrator of Münster, Dr Antonius Hamers, formally prohibited him from conducting any priestly activity in the entire diocese until further notice. The letter cited the pending complaint with the public prosecutor and said a copy was forwarded to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) as well as to the Archbishop of Hyderabad, Cardinal Anthony Poola.
Under the 2019 norms set by Pope Francis, when a bishop is accused of sexual abuse, the local diocese must inform both the Vatican’s doctrinal office and the metropolitan archbishop of the region where the bishop currently resides. In this case, the Diocese of Nalgonda falls under the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.
However, when Deccan Chronicle contacted, the Archdiocese of Hyderabad claimed that no official communication had been received about the case. The Diocese of Münster has made it clear that the case will also undergo canonical proceedings under Vatican norms and reiterated that “should there be any other persons affected by the priest, they can contact the independent contact persons of the Diocese of Münster or the Intervention and Prevention Unit.”
Despite multiple calls and messages by Deccan Chronicle over the last two days, Bishop Dhaman Kumar has not responded or shared his version of events. Repeated attempts were made to obtain his response at his residence in Nalgonda. While his office initially said a response would come from someone authorised, no one eventually got back. The bishop has so far chosen not to respond to the allegations.
Dhaman Kumar, originally from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, belongs to the Order of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales.