Thiruvananthapuram: The Church of South India (CSI) is embroiled in a row over an alleged parallel account opened for parking the capitation fees received for the Dr Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College, Karakonam. The administrative committee of the CSI South Kerala diocese has approached the CSI South India synod on the issue.
A group of students had approached the admission supervisory committee headed by Justice Rajendra Babu seeking the return of around Rs 7.5-crore capitation fees taken as advance for admission. Following this, CSI South Kerala diocese Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam wrote to the commission agreeing to pay back the amount within 12 months. The bishop admitted to the committee that the money was deposited in a separate account.
The issues came to light after a video was circulated showing South Kerala diocese vice-chairman Dr R. Jnanadas criticising the bishop in the Vaidika Samithi (priests' committee) for his statement to the admission committee.
Moreover, the new administrative committee has found that there were no receipts or bills for nearly Rs 45 crore during the audit.
The Rajendra Babu committee had earlier cancelled the admission of 11 MBBS students in the Karakkonam college for producing fake community certificates last year. This was after three students approached the High Court questioning the anomalies in the admissions and the court directed the committee to look into the matter. Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam told the committee that CMS Anglican churches were considered for minority quota seats as they did not have medical colleges of their own.
However, the Rajendra Babu committee pointed out that the reservation under minority community quota is available only to the community which established the college viz CSI (SIUC). The evidence shows that CMS Anglican churches are a separate religious denomination which has no connection with CSI or SIUC. The churches were not included in the communal quota in the prospectus. "The assignment or inclusion of CMS Anglican churches in the minority community quota at a very late stage appears to be with ulterior motives," the order of the committee had pointed out.
