By Matters India Reporter
Kochi, February 15, 2019: The Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church has denied media reports that the Church’s land dealings have come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate.
The commission also condemned such reports as “mischievous attempts” by “certain vested interests,” including Matters India, to spread false reports and tarnish the Church’s image.
The action of the Enforcement directorate, the commission says in a press release, was to call for certain information relating to the Church’s financial transactions during the past ten years.
“We wish to clarify that it is a routine query made by the Enforcement Directorate under the provisions of Sections 37(3) of the FEMA 1999 with Section 133(6) of the Income Tax of 1961. The enquiry is not in respect of any particular purchase/sale of any specific land,” says the February 14 press release issued by commission chairperson Bishop Joseph Pamplany.
“All the information sought has been provided and all the required documents have been submitted to the Enforcement Directorate,” the prelate further clarifies.
The report first appeared in the New Indian Express website (newindianexpress.com) on February 11 and it was reproduced by Matters India, a news aggregation portal, two days later.