Trichy: A Catholic priest was hospitalized after a group of parish youth allegedly thrashed him in a southern Indian city.
Father Jerald Francis Xavier upset the youth committee members when he scolded them for wasting electricity. The youngsters also cut him with blades.
The priest had taken over as the parish priest of St Santhiyahappar Church at Periya Milagupparai of Tiruchirappally, Tamil Nadu, only a month ago, reported The New Indian Express.
The priest was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.
On May 10, during the church’s youth committee meeting after the Sunday mass, the priest had directed the members to submit last year’s accounts.
When Fr Xavier visited the church for the evening Mass he saw some youth chatting in the auditorium with all fans running. He warned them for wasting electricity.
The youth then started arguing with the priest, and assaulted him with clubs and blades. Parishioners who had come for the Mass rescued Fr Xavier and took him to a government hospital. Later, he was shifted to a private hospital.
Based on Fr Xavier’s complaint, the police have registered a case and charged four young men with threatening to murder.