Victory to Christian pressure group

KOCHI

: Powerful Christian pressure group won again today, When Kerala High Court closed the proceedings in the case in connection with Christian Mafia centre in Muringoor in the wake of Supreme Court verdict that High Court judges cannot treat anonymous letters against individuals or institutions as public interest litigation and order suo motu investigation.

The High Court on

March 10, 2006

had issued the direction while initiating suo motu proceedings on the basis of anonymous letters, CDs and paper cuttings in which allegations regarding suspicious deaths, rapes and siphoning off of funds by the divine Centre had been made.

The Special Investigation team headed by Vinson M Paul, Inspector-General of Police, after preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the centre registered a criminal case at Koratty police station against 10 persons, including Fr George Panackal, director of the centre, and also filed an FIR before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Chalakkudy.

While Fr George Panackal is implicated as the first accused, the other accused are procurator Fr Mathew Thadathil, homoeo doctor Thankamma, Sr Teresa and six employees.

The cases were registered under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 342 (wrongful confinement) 324 voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 328 (causing hurt by poison etc with intent to commit an offence, 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.

The other offences alleged include the conducting of a psychiatric institution without licence, administration of psychiatric drugs on several persons (15 persons are still at the centre).

The FIR also said the institution collected money by conducting religious functions and mentally hurt those who are opposed to the functioning of the institution.During 1996-2006, as many as 974 premature deaths occurred at the centre, and bodies were cremated without providing information to the police.The documents were allegedly forged to make it appear that the deaths were natural.

Several persons are locked in cells. Persons showing violent signs are injected with some unknown drugs.Treatment is imparted by untrained persons. There are no medical practitioners at the centre.

Other accusations include, Fr Mathew Thadathil had made an inmate pregnant and she delivered a child. Celin Lopez of Alappuzha allegedly went missing from the centre.IAS and IPS officials were allegedly extending illegal assistance to the centre which allegedly was receiving foreign funds.

The whole enquiry has now been turned as a farce when Government pleaders and Church advocates succeeded in portraying a positive face of this Mafia centre infront of Supreme court. Congress and Communist leaders were unanimous in extending their whole hearted support to this Mafia centre when High court ordered the enquiry. The move to topple the investigation from beginning finds a happy end when SC directed HC to stop the proceedings.

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