By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, June 8, 2022: A Catholic priest says he has not overcome the trauma of kidnap and robbery even a week after the incident.
“I am alive today only because of God’s grace. I was afraid the gang would kill and bury me at a place that nobody would find out,” says Father Dominic Pulickapadavil, a member of the Society of Montfort Missionaries, who was kidnapped by an armed gang on June 1 near Madikkeri in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
The 60-year-old priest, on transfer from Mysore to the congregation’s only mission in Kerala, was going to his new place in Kasargod district in the car of his cousin Tomy Isaac, who lives in Mysore. “My cousin offered to drive me to the new place in his car. We had a pleasant journey to Madikkeri.”
However, when they were proceeding to Sulliya Road on the way to Kerala around 10:30 am, a gang of nine armed men overtook their car and blocked it. Masked men armed with gun and knives then broke the car’s windows and pulled the priest out.
The men, who spoke Tamil and Malayalam, snatched the priest’s mobile and laptop before pushing him into their car blindfolded. “I had no idea about my cousin. After a long distance, in a remote village, they brought my cousin by another car. We both were then taken together to some remote places and somebody brought our car to Hirisava,” Father Pulickapadavil told Matters India June 8.
He said the gang kept driving the vehicle until they reached Hiriseva around 9 pm. Since they did not find anything in the car, the gang decided to set them free. The two then walked two kilometers until they reached their car.
The priest found his mobile under the car’s back seat. “When I saw a police Jeep, I showed my hand and they took the first hand information and asked us to come to the station to register a complaint,” he narrated.
The policemen gave them water and tea. “We had nothing since our breakfast from a roadside restaurant at 8 am,” said Father Pulickapadavil who had a serious spinal cord surgery a few years ago. The priest, eighth among nine children, had recovered from a serious attack of Covid-19 two years ago.
The priest said he could not inform anyone about their ordeal until he recovered his phone. He said he was supposed to reach his new place – Montfort Nilayam at Thokkanammotta near Panayal around noon on June 1.
When he heard from the police about a Catholic church in nearby Kunigal he contacted Father Michael Menezes, a member of his congregation. Father Menezes came to the police station and took the two to the parish. On June 2, they returned to the police station around 9:30 am, to meet the officers and take them to where they had found the car and the kidnap spot.
Meanwhile, the priest’s provincial Father Peter Mascarenhas reached Hiriseva station. Father Pulickapadavil borrowed some money from his superior and went with the police to the two spots. The gang had taken some 40,000 rupees from the priest and his cousin.
The priest finally reached his new place at 10:30 pm on June 3.
He said he has been flooded with phone calls since then. He said both he and his cousin still dread to recall their ordeal.
Another important observation – the so-called attack took place in Karnataka, but the attackers spoke in Tamil and Malayalam. The victims were also Malayalees. So is there some personal vendetta involved? Requires a thorough probe.
My sources in Mysore tell me that even the local clergy and media didn’t know about this alleged kidnapping. Isn’t it strange?
This is the first time hearing about Montfort fathers. I only heard about Montfort Brothers, they have school in Anakkara in Idukki dist. The ordeal the priest suffered is too bad. This may be part of the attacks on Christian priests and missions. It is a surprise that members of the gang included Keralites or Malayalam speaking people also. Thank God the Priest and his cousin are safe.
There is a lesson for all of us from this event. Do not carry a huge amount of cash and valuables while undertaking road journey in a private vehicle through remote and forest areas. Even the buses and trucks are looted in such remote areas.
Hope the priest and his cousin recover fast from this looting incident.
Let us also recall the case of Bp Gallela Prasad of Cuddapah diocese who claimed to have been kidnapped by his own priests who were high caste while he was a dalit. Many of us then sympathized with the bishop, It was only later that we came to know that he himself was involved in several nefarious activities and was ultimately suspended by the Vatican. Very often there is more to it than meets the eye.
This story doesn’t add up. It goes against the psyche of both dacoits and kidnappers. They don;t do such things in broad daylight, then leave the abductees, their car and their phone!! This comes together with another story of a nun being kidnapped, again in Mysore diocese, the fiefdom of William the Conqueror. Earlier he was accused of kidnapping a woman called Sahana and assaulting a man called Alexander. Both cases were withdrawn, reportedly under duress. Are criminal elements, including within the church, inspired by the Conqueror and his modus operandi? These cases require thorough investigation.
The gang should be caught – by whom? Does the government have the time to ensure that the gang is caught? Bommai and his stooges are busy coming up with new initiatives aimed towards the conversion of India into a HINDU RASHTRA! So things like kidnappings and thievery are but minor matters, too insignificant to concern the powers-that-be.
I feel sorry to hear this traumatic experience of Fr.Dominic. The gang should be caught and make it sure that all are safe and sound in our country to live and move around.
For dominic is my classmate.a very dedicated priest.i prayer that he is saved i orsybfor him