Kerala Church Clash, credit: X
Piramadom: A clash has erupted between two Christian sects, the Syrian Jacobite and Malankara Orthodox factions. Both groups had clashed over the ownership of a Church near Kochi. Following the clash, Kerala Police have filed two cases against members of both groups, as per officials on Monday.
The clash took place at St John's Bethlehem Church in Piramadom, which is at the centre of a long-running ownership dispute between the two factions and is currently controlled by the Jacobite faction.
According to the police, a few Orthodox priests arrived at the church on Sunday, citing a local court judgment that had ruled in their favour in the ownership dispute. The priest from the Jacobite sect and his believers at the church opposed their entry, citing another Munsiff Court order that had gone in their favour.
The verbal argument escalated into pushing and shoving between priests and members of both the sects. Believers of both the sects claimed that their priests were injured in the clash.
Police have filed separate cases against 10 people, including priests of the Jacobite faction, and 12 believers and priests of the Orthodox sect. The cases are registered based on complaints from both sides.
The police reported that an investigation was underway, whereas police personnel had been deployed at the church to prevent further violence. The Ernakulam district administration has also called a meeting of representatives from both factions to resolve the dispute amicably.
The Orthodox-Jacobite dispute has continued for several years, with multiple court battles over the possession and administration of Churches and properties associated with the two sects.
