35 detained after scuffle between church factions in Kerala

Thrissur/Thiruvananthapuram, January 18

As many as 35 people were detained on Friday after a scuffle broke out between members of the Orthodox and Jacobite denominations of Christian community at Mannamangalam Church in Thrissur, police said.

“We have registered a case against over 115 people. We are examining CCTV visuals of the scuffle,” a senior police officer of the district told PTI.

Yuhanon Mar Meletius Metropolitan, Bishop of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, had also been arrayed as the prime accused in the case, he said.

Fifteen people have been injured in the scuffle.

The Orthodox faction, which have been camping outside the church for the last few days, allegedly entered the Mannamangalam church, resulting in stone-pelting and a minor scuffle early on Friday morning.

Recently, a famous church in Piravom, controlled by the Jacobite faction, had witnessed high tension as police entered the premises to implement last year’s Supreme Court order giving control of the church to the Orthodox faction.

In its order, the apex court had ruled that 1,100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church should be controlled by the Orthodox faction, as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines. PTI