2 hours Ago By Express News Service
MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered the CBI to file a case against Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA), Church of South India (CSI) Madurai Ramnad Diocese, unnamed government officials, and private individuals to probe into the alleged illegal sale of 31.10 acres of government land worth crores of rupees at Tallakulam in the heart of Madurai city by these entities. Justice K K Ramakrishnan passed the order based on a PIL filed by D Devasahayam, president of Christian Minorities Unit.
The PIL said that 31.10 acres of land at Tallakulam was provided by the government to American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) (later known as United Church Board for World Ministries) for the purpose of establishing an industrial home for needy women and to carry out farming and use the income generated through it for the welfare of the inmates of the home. By violating these conditions, the Lay Secretary of Church of South India (Madurai-Ramnad Diocese), in connivance with government officials and others, fabricated the power deed and sold the property to private persons, the petitioner claimed.
The court after hearing the submissions of the parties said the properties of United Church Board for World Ministries were transferred to the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) and the directors of the CSITA conspired and colluded with the administrators of the CSI Madurai Ramnad Diocese to sell the properties illegally through a fabricated power deed. The court perused the order of the division bench of the court in another PIL on the issue to arrive at a conclusion that materials disclose a prima facie case for investigation by the CBI. The judge also referred to a resumption clause in the government order which said that if the land is not used for the intended purpose, it should be restored back to the government.
The court said the government is still the owner of the property and the church authority has no jurisdiction to sell the property. Earlier, funds flowed from homes to churches, but now since conscientious are not occupying the chair of the church administration, church properties are being swindled by administrators in violation of the tenets of bible. The bishop and other administrators of the church are duty bound to use the property for its dedicated purpose, the judge said.
“Every religion promotes charity for the needy with the belief that charities are done by the God himself. It is the faith of all religions that whenever there is a miserable condition, God sends humans to perform charity. People, nowadays, are going against their own religion and faith,” the judge said.
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