Bangalore, May 14: The Federation of Karnataka Catholics and Christians Associations (FKCCA) has urged the Bangalore City Police Commissioner to include the names of several priests of Kannada Catholikara Yajakara Balaga (Association of Kannada Catholic Priests) in the investigation of the murder of Fr K J Thomas, the then Rector of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore last year, as ''abettors."

The FKCCA President and anti-corruption activist T J Abraham, who has been mounting pressure on the Catholic Church by submitting representations to the Archbishop of Bangalore Most Rev Dr Bernard Moras, and the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI) His Eminence Valerian Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, seeking excommunication of the key leaders of the Balaga, submitted a representation to the City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar demanding that the scope of investigation into the murder of Fr K J Thomas on March31-April 1 last year inside the seminary.

''The activities of the Priests (of the Balaga), along with those who are funding them too by adding them as Co-Accused persons in the murder on charges abetment, sheltering and attempting to destroy evidences in supporting the Accused/culprits in the interest of justice," Abraham said taking strong exception to the statements made by the Balaga priests at a press conference on March 22 laiming that the three persons, including two priests William Patrick and Elias Daniel and their lay accomplice Peter, arrested on March 21 as ''totally innocent"and that ''they had been falsely implicated and framed" as part of the conspiracy hatched by the Archbishop with Home Minister K J George and the then DCP Victor D’Souza in order to 'fix the three innocent persons."

The Balaga priests, according to FKCCA complaint to the City Police Commissioner, are: Fr Chalkere Chowrappa Selvaraj (Chasara), Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Church in Chamarajpet, Fr A Thomas, Parish Priest of Kristha Karunalaya Church Jaraganahalli, Kanakapura Road and also the Principal/trustee of Christ School, Marianapalya Road, Kaglipura, privately owned and run by his own Carmel Seva Sangam Trust, Mariapura and Fr S Bartholomew, Parish Priest of Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Tumkur, and Fr Fathiraj (A genuine Father) who are main trouble-makers in the Archdiocese of Bangalore, for their own selfish reasons and ulterior motives of gaining positions for themselves or their supporters, including some of the silent and behind-the-scene kingpins, who are angling for key Ecclesiastical positions in the Archdiocese, who have been spearheading the Anti-Catholic trouble in the Archdiocese. 

The FKCA also claimed that the above-mentioned priests and many others such as Fr Arulappa L, Manager & Correspondent St Aloysius Educational Institutions, Sarvajna Nagara, (very unfortunately) Fr.Antappa-Archbishop's House, Fr J Sandyagu, Administrator, St Mary's Minor Basilica Church Shivajinagar, Bengaluru, Fr Francis Xavier J, also from St Mary’s Basillica, Fr Balaraj J, Parish Priest, St Pius X Church, St Thomas Town Post, Fr Balraj R-Parish Priest, St Joseph's Church, Channapatna, Ramanagar Dist. Fr. Peter C-Asst. Administrator, Legal, Rent and Property, Archbishop's House, and Fr James Prabhu, Parish Priest, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Mariapura, Thattuguppe Post, who are part of the so-called self-styled Kannada Catholicara Yajakara Balaga have been causing trouble in the Archdiocese since the last several years.

''The three arrested persons – Fr William Patrick, who is the Secretary of this Balaga or Association, and Fr Elias Daniel, key activist, with Fr A Thomas as the President and Fr Chalkere Chowrappa Selvaraj (Chasara), who are behind the so-called agitation, pretending that it is meant for gaining primacy for the Kannada language in the liturgical celebrations, only to misguide people and shamelessly causing violent protests and law and order problems in several churches, including the Christ the King Church, Yeshwanthpur, which is adjoining the St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, by going to the extent of pouring acid on the then Parish Priest, Fr Jerome Lobo, obstructing Holy Eucharist at St John the Baptist Church, Vijayanagar, and physically assaulting and attacking Fr C Jacob, a Kannadiga priest, while celebrating the ''Holy Mass" in Kannada, in the St Mary’s Church at Hegde Nagar and several other churches over the past several years, especially and intentionally during the Liturgical celebrations preceding Easter or Christmas," the FKCCA said. 

''These priests have been able to get the support of some non-priests lay persons who have volunteered to contribute huge sums of money (in lakhs) to get the persons already behind bars out of the prison and to also support in destroying evidences and buying up witnesses against any of the accused persons being investigated into presently, or those who could be still untouched by the police in this regard. It is reliably learnt that a sum of Rs 25 Lakhs has been collected recently for the purpose of destruction of evidence. Huge sums of Lakhs of rupees have been given/contributed for this purpose by around 9 persons whose names and details are being obtained and shall be provided shortly,’’ the FKCCA complaint said.

''Interestingly one of the ring leaders of the Balaga Fr S Bartholomew, Parish Priest of Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Tumkur, was earlier involved in a case of rape and it is reliably learnt that the Balaga of the priests at that time also collected around Rs 13 lakh to pay the complainant to turn her hostile during trial," Abraham said and added: ''The same is being planned in the case of the murder of Fr K J Thomas also."