Kochi: In line with a court order, police in Kerala took control of the Jacobite Syrian Cathedral at Mulanthuruthy. The court had set August 17 as the deadline to hand over the church in Ernakulam district to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian faction.
The district administration will submit a report to the court today, said Ernakulam Sub Collector Snehil Kumar Singh.
Police took over the church in the early hours and arrested protesters belonging to the Jacobite group. The locked gates were forcibly opened by police.
The Kerala High Court has held that it is appropriate to seek the assistance of central forces for taking the possession of the Mulanthuruthy church from the Jacobite faction. The High Court was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by Orthodox faction vicar Father Geo George.
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Protests have been going on inside the religious structure over Jacobite faction taking possession of the church.
The state government had earlier submitted that due to COVID-19 and floods in Ernakulam, the district administration is not in a position to take possession of the church.
The Kerala High Court had made it clear that that the affairs of the church shall not be in the hands of the Jacobite faction vicar at any time.
It directed that if the District Collector was of the view that sufficient police could not be deployed due to the pandemic, he shall wait till such period to hand over the church to the petitioners.
With ANI Inputs
