Criminal Conspiracy – Case filed against Cardinal Alencherry and Union minister K V Thomas

KOCHI: The judicial first class magistrate court has posted the hearing for an application on the role of Cardinal Alencherry and Union minister K V Thomas, ‘in trying to facilitate the release of Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen’. Petitioner T G Mohandas from Koovappadom had alleged criminal conspiracy by the cardinal and the minister.The case is posted for a hearing on April 28

In the petition, Mohandas alleged that the cardinal and the minister engaged in criminal conspiracy and tried to facilitate the release of the Italian marines. The petitioner alleged that the cardinal’s statement on February 21 to Italian media that he has urged local authorities in Kerala not to ‘precipitate action’ amounts criminal conspiracy as his efforts were to help the Italian marines.

“I immediately contacted the Catholic ministers to ask the Kerala government not to take precipitate action,” Alencherry was reported to have told Catholic news agency Fides in Rome.