KOCHI; The High Court has issued a notice to Cardinal Mar George Alencherry in a petition filed seeking a police probe into the controversial land deal in the Ernakulam - Angamaly archdiocese. The court has also issued a notice to Fr. Joshy Puthuva, archdiocese procurator and Mon Sebastian Vadakkumpadan, vicar-general of archdiocese, who have been recently transferred from the posts, and the real estate dealer Saju Varghese, who brokered the land transaction. The state government has been asked to submit its stand on the matter.
Joshy Varghese of Perumbavoor had approached the HC urging to register a criminal case against the accused who caused huge financial loss to the Syro-Malabar Church through the land transaction. The court will consider the petition on February 28. The petition said that the Cardinal and the Church top leadership had misused properties worth crores of rupees in the name of laity. The matter is a criminal offence which can't be resolved within the Church.
Though a police complaint was submitted, no action has been taken, the petition said. Earlier, Polachan Puthuppara, president of Kerala Catholic Association for Justice, had submitted a petition with Ernakulam chief judicial magistrate court seeking action against the Cardinal in the land transaction issue. However, the court dismissed the petition citing lack of evidence.
