Christian priest prime accused in murder case

PNS | Kochi

The Malankara Varghese murder case, in which the CBI has named Fr Varghese Thekkekkara, a senior priest of the Syrian Jacobite Church as first accused, has taken a curious turn with the widow of the murdered priest asking the CBI to unravel the conspiracy behind the murder, saying that people in high positions could have been involved in it.

She was planning to approach the court for an order to the CBI to thoroughly probe the case because “this cannot be just a conspiracy of one priest,” Saramma Varghese, wife of Malankara Varghese, said. Saramma said it was difficult to believe that there was only one person behind the conspiracy. The murder could not have taken place without the help of higher-ups, “may be even a bishop”, she said.

The CBI had the other day taken into custody Fr Varghese Thekkekkara (50), manager of the Angamali diocese of the Syrian Jacobite Church, as first accused in the case of the murder of Malankara Varghese, managing trustee of the Orthodox Church. There are a total of 19 accused in the case pertaining to the murder committed more than seven years ago.

This was the first time a priest was being made an accused in a murder case after the sensational Sr Abhaya murder case. The CBI had arrested two senior priests of the Kottayam-based Knanaya Catholic Church as the first two accused in the Sr Abhaya case. At least half a dozen priests from various Christian denominations had been named as prime accused in murder cases in Kerala.

Malankara Varghese’s murder was assumed to be part of the rivalry between the two sections of the church. Malankara Varghese was hacked and stabbed to death by hired hoodlums at Perumbavoor on December 5, 2002. The century-old feud between the two sections – Jacobite and Orthodox – has been a matter of worry for successive governments in the State. On several occasions, feuds between the two churches had ended in brawls and it had even led to police action at the premises of a church in Aluva four years ago. .

The CBI charged the priest with active role in the conspiracy to murder Malankara Varghese. The agency said in the chargesheet submitted in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kochi that the contract for killing Varghese was given to tenth accused Peppadan Toni of Thrissur with the full knowledge and consent.

The agency had arrested second accused Joy Varghese alias Cement Joy of Perumbavoor on April 7. The CJM Court would pronounce its verdict on the bail petition of Joy, who was now in judicial custody, on Monday. The agency had learned of the involvement of the priest in the murder during the interrogation of Joy. The CBI concluded that Fr Thekkekkara and Joy had given lakhs of rupees to the gang of hoodlums from Thrissur in contract fees for murdering Varghese.

A person named Binu, member of the Jacobite Youth Association, had suffered serious injuries in an accident some months ago. He died in the hospital later. The association workers had collected money for the treatment of Binu and this fund was being handled by the priest. The CBI charged Fr Thekkekkara with diverting a good portion of this fund for giving the contract fees to the killers from Thrissur.

Malankara Varghese murder was first investigated by the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police. Allegations had come up to the effect that the Crime Branch had tried to save Fr Thekkekkara due to political pressures. Following this, Varghese’s widow approached the Kerala High Court seeking an effective probe and the court handed over the investigation to the CBI in 2007.