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Malayali Christian Association seeks CBI probe into death of seminar rector

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MANGALORE: The Karnataka State Malayali Christian Association has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) into murder of Rev Fr KJ Thomas, rector of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Malleshwaram in Bangalore. Rev Thomas was murdered in intervening night of March 31 and April 1 and there has been no progress in the case registered in Yeshwanthpur police station, AC Jayaraj, president of the association stated.

Describing Fr Thomas as a simple dynamic person, Jayaraj told reporters here that the victim had good rapport with all other priests in the seminary. Criminals forcibly pulled Fr Thomas out of the seminary and beat him up with bricks and iron rods. While no individual/group is being suspected, there are linguistic groups among Catholics which were having conflicts. Protests by one linguistic group, used to happen within the seminary campus, he said.

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The seminary is quite close to Yeshwanthpur police station, and top police officials reside in police quarters near the station. Police personnel were posted for protection with regard to Holy week celebration in Christ the King Church. CCTVs are installed in Yeshwanthpur junction and Tumkur Road and other vantage points, he said, adding this should help police trace the culprits. Scanning of phone records of locals too will help investigations.

The theft of standing sandalwood trees inside the seminary campus a week earlier to this incident too should help police with their probe, Jayaraj said. The room of Fr Thomas was vandalised and criminals had tried to break open the door of Fr Patrick Xavier’s room and the enquiry room of the seminary too was damaged. The involvement of linguistic group or robbers too cannot be ruled out, he said, adding police had failed to act on these clues.

He is a Software Engineer from Moodbidri currently living in Kuwait. He likes to travel and post interesting things about technology. He is the designer of Kannadigaworld.com. You may follow him on FB at fb.com/alanpaladka

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