Priest’s kin say he was constantly harassed

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service 

Dasuya (Hoshiarpur), October 23

A post-mortem was conducted on the body of Father Kuriakose Kattuthara (62), who was found dead at his residence on the premises of St Paul’s Convent School here on Monday. Carried out by a team of four doctors at the Civil Hospital, the postmortem was video-taped at the insistence of the deceased’s brother, Jose Kurian, and cousin Johnny Thomas, who arrived from Kerala on Tuesday morning. 

EDIT: DEATH OF A FATHER

Prior to the post-mortem, they said they might seek a second one in Kerala, if dissatisfied with the report. In a complaint to the police, they alleged Father Kuriakose was being harassed at the behest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal against whom he had deposed in a rape case. 

Dr Jaswinder Singh, among those on the medical board, said, “We cannot give a preliminary report. We will send samples to the Amritsar Government Medical College for a histopathology report and the Kharar lab for a forensic report. Both will take two-three months.” He refused to confirm if the Father had died of a heart attack.

The Dasuya police have taken note under Section 174 of the CrPC. In a statement, Jose Kurian alleged his brother’s salary had been slashed from Rs 1,000 to Rs 500. This was meant for his personal expenses, including medicines and mobile recharge. 

“My brother was the first to speak against Bishop Franco, who turned his parish members against him. One of the senior-most priests of the Jalandhar Diocese, all positions were wrested from him. I am told his then residence at Bhogpur was attacked the day he deposed against the Bishop before a police team from Kerala. 

A vehicle parked outside was attacked too. Since the Bishop’s return on bail, he  had faced constant harassment,” Jose Kurien alleged.

The Bhogpur police said it had no record on the alleged attack on Father Kuriakose’s house and car.

Father Mathew Kokkandum, Vicar General, Jalandhar Diocese, said Father Kuriakose had been removed from various positions as he was engaged in the translation of a prayer book and parts of the Bible into Punjabi. “He himself had sought to be excused from any other work,” he added. In his statement to the police, he claimed the death was “natural”.

Father Sebastian, a cousin of the complainant nun, helped the family with the proceedings. 

The Jalandhar Diocese held a prayer meeting for the deceased at St Mary’s Cathedral in Jalandhar Cantonment where the body was brought after which it was taken to the CMC Hospital, Ludhiana, for embalming. Diocese administrator Agnelo Gracias attended the last prayers. Bishop Franco skipped the mass.

Father Kuriakose will be buried at his native place Pallippuram in Alappuzha on Thursday.