Hoshiarpur/Kottayam: A four-member board on Tuesday conducted an in-camera post-mortem of Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, a key witness in the nun rape case who testified against accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, at Dasuya Civil Hospital, officials said.

Kattuthara, 62, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Monday in his room in the catholic church premises in Dasuya, 40 km from here.

The autopsy was videographed, Senior Medical Officer of Dasuya Civil Hospital Devinder Puri said.

The viscera will be sent to the government laboratory to find out the cause of death, he said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dasuya) A R Sharma said the body was handed over to Kattuhara's family after the post-mortem.

Fr Kattuthara's relatives Jose Kurian and Johnny Thomas and  Thomas reached Dasuya from Kerala on Tuesday.

According to officials, they proceeded to Jalandhar for prayers. Thereafter, they will take the body for embalming at Christian Medical College hospital in Ludhiana before flying back to Kerala.

No visible injury marks were found on Kattuthara's body, the police had said on Monday.

"There was vomit in the room," Sharma had said.

Relatives of the priest in Kerala had said Kattuthara was concerned about his safety after coming out openly against the bishop.

Also read: Fr Kuriakose skipped dinner on fateful night, says aide

Kattuthara was transferred 15 days ago to the church at Dharampur. He was staying on the church premises which is also home to St Paul's Convent School. Earlier, he was serving in the church at Bhogpur. He had also served as a priest in the Jalandhar diocese.

'We are scared'

Meanwhile, the five nuns, who are staying with the rape victim at a convent in Kuravilangad near Kottayam, said they were not safe and that anything could happen to them.

"We are scared now. There is a mystery behind the death of the priest who had testified against Bishop Mulakkal.

"We and those who stood with us during our protest seeking arrest of Bishop Mulakkal are also in danger," Sister Anupama, speaking on behalf of all of them, told reporters in Kottayam.

Supporters of the rape victim urged the Kerala government to provide security to the complainant in view of the 'mysterious death' of a key witness in the case.

In her complaint to the Kottayam Police in June, the rape victim alleged that Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions.

However, Mulakkal, who stepped aside as the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese last month, has denied the charges as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.

Mulakkal had received a rousing welcome from his followers and supporters when he returned to Jalandhar after being released on bail by a Kerala court last week.