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The Kerala High Court today dismissed a batch of pleas filed by Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Syrio Malabar Church seeking quashing of charges against him in the alleged irregularities in land deals involving them in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

The court upholding the verdict of the Trial Court said that that Alencherry must face trial in the case.  The court also dismissed the six petitions filed by Alencherry.

Earlier in 2018 Justice B Kemal Pasha had directed the Police to register an FIR against the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, and three others on a complaint alleging irregularities in land deals

The Court had rejected the Cardinal’s contention that the land belonged to the diocese and that a third party could not complain about the alleged loss in the sale of such a private property.

The Court had held that the Cardinal was only a caretaker of the assets owned by the church and that any ordinary member of the society could seek action if any irregularities took place in the dealings of the Church properties.

The cardinal has been charged under Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 329 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

The Cardinal has been accused of selling prime land of the archdiocese for a very low price. It has also been  alleged that a land mafia played a role in the sale, violating civil and Tax laws. It has been claimed that the church disposed 3.6 acres of prime land in Kochi for Rs 9 crore but it was worth more than Rs 2.7 million.

Case Title: Batch of Pleas