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Kerala bishop let off by ED after 10-hour questioning
At least 19 cases were registered against the diocese in four years alleging that it took huge amount of money from students promising them MBBS and post-graduate seats at Somervell Memorial Medical College in Karakonam in Thiruvananthapuram district
A day after enforcement directorate (ED) aborted his trip to Britain, the central agency on Wednesday questioned the Church of South India (CSI) bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam for 10 hours in Kochi in connection with alleged money-laundering and corruption cases.
ED sources said he will be summoned again in a couple of days after examining statements given by him. The central agency had raided the headquarters of the church in the state capital and many of its offices on Monday, and he was sent back from Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday while he was planning to go to the UK for a conference.
At least 19 cases were registered against the diocese in four years alleging that it took huge amount of money from students promising them MBBS and post-graduate seats at Somervell Memorial Medical College in Karakonam in Thiruvananthapuram district. There were also allegations of money-laundering against some of the church-run institutions.
Since the church enjoyed a considerable following and clout investigation in many cases dragged. Though the Kerala high court had passed severe strictures against police in some of the cases investigation moved at a snail’s pace.
One of the complainants VT Mohanan, who took up a bunch of complaints from 2018 and later moved the high court for a central agency probe, said this was a big racket, but all cases were hushed up with the connivance of some political parties and local police. Some of the church reformers like him alleged it was a racket worth more than ₹100 crore.
In 2020 the high court had cancelled the admission of 11 MBBS students who got admission by submitting fake community certificates issued by the bishop. In 2019, the state admission fee regulatory committee also found that the college accepted exorbitant fees from some NRI students and sought action against it. In 2020, some students from Tamil Nadu also filed complaints alleging that huge sum was taken by the college management for MBBS seats and cheated them.
“I was bluntly told by police officers that he was a spiritual leader, and he could not indulge in such corrupt practices and accept money. At times, I was shooed away and even intimidated by his people and police,” Mohanan said, adding that things in the church vitiated after he took over as the bishop in 2016.
“My NRI father paid ₹80 lakh to the administrative secretary TT Praveen for an MBBS seat for me in 2020. But we failed to get neither the seat nor the refund. We were threatened by his people when we complained,” a student from Neyyattinkara said. After the raid on church premises, Praveen was reported to be absconding.
“We paid a huge amount for the community certificate in 2018 and got admission for the MBBS course. We were assured that nobody will notice it and it was the responsibility of the church but in 2020 our admission was cancelled by the High Court, and we failed to get our money back,” said one of the 11 students whose admission was cancelled by the high court
Church spokesman CR Godwin blamed a section of believers for mounting “frivolous cases” against the bishop and blocking his trip to the UK. He said the bishop’s trip was planned much before to attend the Lambeth conference, which was held once in 10 years at the University of Kent.
“A section of our believers is behind these baseless charges. We have submitted all documents and evidence to prove our innocence. We will come out clean,” he said.
