Kerala High Court directive to open church
The Hindu
Collector put in charge of St. Mary’s Church, Poothrikka, till elections to its managing committee
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Puthenkurisu police to open St. Mary’s Church, Poothrikka, and allow Father Aby Ulahannan, vicar, to conduct services and manage the properties of the Church in accordance with the 1934 constitution of the Malankara Church.
Justice Devan Ramachandran also directed the Ernakulam District Collector or any other officer chosen by him not below the rank of a Deputy Collector to be in the overall charge of the administration and management of the church until such time as the vicar is able to call for elections to the managing committee as per the 1934 constitution of the Church.
The court clarified that the vicar would be the president of the administration, while the Collector or his delegate would be in the overall charge of the church.
As speculation over the continuation of Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare B. Nagendra in the Cabinet persisted, with the demand for his resignation raised by the BJP in connection with the ₹94 crore scam at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, his Cabinet colleagues came to his defence on Thursday.