Mangalore: Court asks CBI to probe priest’s death

TNN

Mangalore, 17 August 2011: The Karnataka high court on July 8 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate a case of unnatural death report 59/09 registered in Belthangady police station limits in Dakshina Kannada. The case pertains to death of Fr James Mukalel, the in-charge parish priest of St Xaviers Church, Padavu of Puttur taluk on June 29, 2009. Parents of the victim contended that their son was murdered and it was not a case of suicide.

 

Fr James Mukalel

 

Prince Isac, advocate who appeared on behalf of Sebastian Mukalel, father of Fr James, before the high court told reporters here on Tuesday that Justice Mohan Shantana Goudar in his above order felt it fit that CBI investigate into the matter on merits and in accordance with law. The court has directed the chief secretary, principal home secretary, DGP, SP, DK district and SI, Belthangady PS to hand over records to CBI and provide it necessary cooperation.

 

Stating that his clients received the certified copy of the courts order only recently, Prince Isac said he would give a representation to the CBI asking it to take over the case post-haste based on the HC direction. The first postmortem conducted by doctors at district Wenlock Hospital here had not been able to ascertain cause of death, even after the forensic science laboratory (FSL) submitted their findings based on the viscera tests conducted, he said.

 

File Photo

 

The naked body of Fr James was found at a distance of 200 metres from the house of his companion V D Francis at Kuntady near Thottathady beside his motorcycle on July 30, 2009. His personal belongings was found next to the body. Traces of human excreta were found on the face, eyelids and other parts of the body, Prince said, adding that the circumstances clearly indicated a cold-blooded murder.

 

Belthangady police on a complaint from the Vicar-General of Belthangady diocese lodged a complaint suspecting that Fr James had been murdered. However, police registered a case of UDR and investigated accordingly. Since the family was suspicious of the circumstances of the death, they insisted on a second postmortem which was conducted at Calicut Medical College and this revealed ante-mortem injury wounds on the body, Prince explained.

 

The initial postmortem conducted in the city had failed to record these injuries and there were basic discrepancies in recording data of the victim including his height and weight.

 

Fr James was 172 cms tall and weighed 84 kg, but postmortem indicates his height as 166 cms and weighing 66 kgs, he said. An ailing Sebastian and his wife Rosamma hoped CBI could bring finality to Fr James death.