Kochi: The disputed Mulanthuruthy Marthoman Church was taken over by the district authorities here on Monday.
The police forcefully entered the church in the morning.
The members, who had assembled at the church for a fasting prayer, were arrested and removed from the church premises. Many, including priests are believed to be injured in the incident.
The arrested members have been moved to various locations. The Jacobite devotees had started a fasting prayer at the church on Friday under the leadership of the Joseph Mar Gregorios, the Metropolitan of the Kochi diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church.
The Kerala High Court had ordered the Jacobite faction to handover the church located at Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam district of Kerala to the Orthdox faction in line with the Supreme Court directives.
Earlier this month, the court also issued an order for contempt of court when the authorities showed no signs of complying with the order.
The District Collector was asked to hand over the church to the petitioners when sufficient police force could be spared for the task after their COVID duties.
The court had however, made it clear that the Jacobite faction cannot handle the affairs of the church during this period.
Onakkoor church taken over
The district administration also took over the Onakkoor Sehiyon Jacobite Syrian church at Piravom in Ernakulam on Monday. The Jacobite church authorities were informed of the development.
The fifteen people inside the church premises were arrested and removed.
In July 3, 2017, the Supreme court had held that 1,100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church should be controlled by the Orthodox faction as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines. With this judgement, the Jacobite faction lost its legal status as the Malankara Syrian Church.
Following the HC directives, the Piravom Church was also taken over by the Ernakulam collector last year in a similar manner.
