Kochi: A day after Fr Xavier Thelakkat, 52, the priest of St Thomas Church, Malayattoor, was stabbed to death, the absconding former sexton, Johny Vattekkadan, was nabbed from the nearby forest on Friday. A team led by Perumbavoor DySP G.Venu with the help of local youths held Johny from Injakuzhy, nearly two km from Kurisumudi pilgrim centre at 1 p.m. When caught, Johny was in a weak condition and pleaded for drinking water and food.
Fr Xavier Thelakkat, rector of the famed pilgrim centre for the last seven years, was stabbed by the accused on Thursday noon when the former was returning from the church on the hill top. Johny had fled to the near-by forest after the incident and could not be traced for the whole day. “He admitted that he did the act in revenge after the priest had suspended him citing his excessive drinking habit. He had requested the priest to take him back with the pilgrim season set to start but the latter refused. The priest finally called him for talks on Thursday but it ended in an argument and the subsequent murder,” said Mr Saji Markose, station head officer, Kalady, who was in the team which caught Johny.
The accused told cops that he attempted suicide while in hiding but failed. “He was returning to the basehill when we caught him,” said Mr Venu. “He spent the night at a shed in a rubber plantation of a private party. He pleaded with us not to beat him,” said Joby Sebastian, a local resident. The cops took Johnny to the Kalamassery AR camp where his interrogation was progressing. Meanwhile, thousands paid homage to the late priest at the Malayattoor pilgrim centre on Friday. The funeral service is slated to commence at 10 a.m. at his residence in east Cheranalloor on Saturday.
