Kerala - Kochi   

`Allow Orthodox faction to take possession of Church'

Staff Reporter

High CourtRound-up

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Muvattupuzha, to remove the lock put on the St. Peter's and St. Paul's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Kolencherry in Ernakulam, and allow M.V. Abraham of the Orthodox faction to take possession of the church.

Justice A.K. Basheer, while disposing of a writ petition filed by two persons challenging the RDO's order locking up the church, ordered that the authorities concerned would be at liberty to pass final orders in accordance with the law if the situation warranted. The court quashed the order accepting the contentions of the counsel for the petitioners that the civil court had passed a decree in the matter of administration of the property falling under the Malankara church in favour of Fr. Abraham.

The court also found force in the submission of the counsel that the RDO had passed the order for attachment of the property under Section 146 of the Criminal Procedure Code without following the procedure as contemplated under Section 145. The Government had contended that the magistrate passed the order, as there was likelihood of law and order problem when the church was opened in July 2005.

CTP told to continue

A Division Bench comprising Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice K.T. Sankaran ordered that Eapen Varghese who had been appointed Managing Director of the Kerala Urban and Rural Development Finance Corporation, Kozhikode, be allowed to continue as Chief Town Planner (CTP) till the Government passed a final order in this regard.

The Bench, however, said that Mr. Varghese did not have any legal right to continue in the post. The court made it clear that the Government could consider the submission of the petitioner that S. Rajaram, senior town planner, had no qualification to be appointed in the post at the time of passing final orders. The Bench issued the orders while disposing of an appeal filed by the Government against the interim order passed by a single judge on a petition filed by Mr. Varghese. According to him, the Government directed Mr. Rajaram to hold the charge of the Chief Town Planner. He alleged that he had been shifted to accommodate Mr. Rajaram in the post.

Nigerian footballers

Justice K. Thankappan has ordered that the three Africans football players who were arrested for not having valid travel documents be shifted to the sub-jail, Eranakulam, from the Palluruthy relief settlement.

They were claimed to have arrived in the State for playing football in Thrissur. They were arrested in May in Thrissur and later released on bail. The police had again arrested them soon after their release.

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