Kochi: A sexton (church assistant), suspended from service as part of disciplinary action, stabbed to death parish priest Fr Xavier Thelakkat at the Kurisumudi pilgrim centre at Malayattoor following an argument on Thursday. The incident happened at 12 noon when Fr Xavier, 52, rector of the famed pilgrim centre for the last seven years, was returning from the church on the hill top. The accused Johny Vattekkadan, who was the sexton of the church, stopped the priest at the sixth stop of the Kurisumudi pathway and stabbed him on his left leg and thigh, before fleeing to the adjacent forest.
The priest died of blood loss as he was taking anticoagulant medicine as part of treatment for heart-related ailment. Though the people carried him on their shoulders downhill and rushed him to the Angamaly Little Flower Hospital, the doctors there declared him brought dead. The rector had suspended the accused from service citing moral turpitude three weeks back.
He had asked Johny to come and meet him on Thursday to discuss the issue. “The accused waylaid the rector when he reached the sixth stop and picked up an altercation while discussing the disciplinary action. He had come to the spot carrying a knife and in a fit of rage, he repeatedly stabbed the priest on his left leg and fled. We’ve launched a search for him with the help of forest officials. A case for murder has been registered,” said Mr Saji Markose, station head officer, Kalady.
“Johny was a habitual drinker and the priest, very strict in nature, had asked him not to trek the hill. An argument broke out between them and Johny stabbed the priest with the knife,” said Jobby Sebastian, who resides near the church. He was among those who rushed the priest to the hospital.
“We tried our best to take him to the hospital quickly. It took 45 minutes to trek down the hill. The priest had undergone angioplasty a year ago and he had been taking medicine for his heart-related ailment, which contributed to profuse bleeding,” he said. Fr Xavier, originally from Kannur, is the son of the late Paulose and Therssiamma of Vellad. He was brought up by his relatives in Cheranellore. A member of east Cheranallore parish in Perumbavur under the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, Xavier Thelekkat was ordained as a priest in 1993. He had been working as the rector of the International shrine since 2011.
Fr Xavier, a law graduate, is survived by siblings Molly, Lissie, Rosamma, Shaju, Shali, Manoj and Helna. The body will be kept at the Little Flower Hospital till Friday morning and then at the St Thomas Church, Malayattoor, from 10 am to 8 pm on Friday. The funeral service will commence at his residence in east Cheranallore at 10 am on Saturday. Major Archbishop cardinal Mar George Alencherry will lead the funeral services.
