Case Registered against Archbishop, 2 Priests

Daily Bhaskar
February 15, 2013

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MP-BHO-bhopal-case-registered-against-archbishop-2-priests-4181718-NOR.html

A trial court has registered a case against three officials - Archbishop and two senior priests - of the Archdiocese of Bhopal for allegedly indulging in a conspiracy to administer poisonous substance to a priest.

The case is registered against Archbishop of Bhopal Archdiocese Leo Cornelio, his Vicar General Father Mathew V C and diocesan spokesperson Father Johny PJ after taking cognizance of a complaint filed by former spokesperson of the diocese Father Anand Muttungal.

The priest in his complaint alleged that the top officials of the diocese were annoyed with him for questioning alleged misappropriation of fund from the diocesan society. Besides this, he had also moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking direction to punish those involved in it.

Last week on Thursday, judicial magistrate first class Alok Mishra has order to register a case against the accused. However, the court has posted its next hearing for March 1.

The allegations in the complaint was substantiated by Father Philip K P, another priest in the diocese in an affidavit to magistrate that Archbishop and the VG had pressurised him to administer some poisonous substances to Father Muttungal to make him mad. Even they had also approached a psychiatrist for his help to execute the plan.

When the police failed to act upon my complaint to protect me, I lodged a private complaint with the magistrate for saving my life", said Father Muttungal told DNA on Friday.