Kochi: A petition has been submitted to the Inspector General of Police (Ernakulam Range), seeking police probe into the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese land row.

The complaint has been lodged by a person named Polachan Puthuppara seeking an inquiry specifically into the alleged cheating and corruption in the land deal.

This is the first time that a police complaint has been filed over the matter alleging misuse of asset, corruption, cheating and tax evasion in the land deal.

The land deal scandal points fingers at Cardinal George Alancherry – Archbishop  of Syro-Malabar Church. A section of the priests has alleged that the church suffered significant loss from the land deal which was carried out for a bank loan repayment.

Meanwhile, Fr Paul Karedan spokesperson of  Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese said that the Archdiocese and Archbishop failed to be cautious in the land deal.

He was giving an explanation to the controversial land scam under the Archdiocese. “The agreements were signed after blindly believing the mediator even though it was noted that fake details were shown in the agreement. Land deals of the Archdiocese except the initial ones were not discussed even in the committee,” told Fr Paul Karedan to Mathrubhumi News.

Sabu Varghese, the mediator of the land deal allegedly had approached the diocese in the guise of helping them for charity.

An internal commission will investigate the land deals under the Archdiocese and their report is expected by January 31.

 

 

 

(source: mathrubhumi)