Kerala nun rape case witness’ family decides against second autopsy

Mangalore Today News Network

Kerala,Oct 24, 2018 : The family of Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, a witness in the Kerala nun rape case who was found dead in Jalandhar, has decided against seeking a second autopsy and said they were satisfied with the postmortem conducted by a board of four doctors on Tuesday at Dasuya Civil Hospital. Previously, Kattuhara’s family raised doubts over the circumstances in which he was found dead and said they would seek a second postmortem in Kerala.

 

Kattuthara was found dead in his room on the premises of St Paul School Dasuya on October 22.

Jose Kurian, the younger brother of the deceased father, told The Indian Express that they will be burying this body at Cherthala in Kerala tomorrow. “Yesterday we saw that postmortem was conducted in a highly scientific manner by a board of four doctors who were specialist in different fields,” he said, adding that they were satisfied with it.

He also said that they still suspect foul play in his brother’s death and will wait for the autopsy report.

The Chancellor of Diocese of Jalandhar, Father Sebastian Pallasery, who is also a cousin of Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, said, “The family had doubts of foul play as Father Kuriakose was under mental pressure after giving statements against rape accused Bishop Father Franco of Jalandhar. But after the postmortem conducted at Civil Hospital, Dasuya, the family was satisfied and had decided to drop the idea of second postmortem.”

Father Peter, Public Relation Officer of Diocese of Jalandhar, alleged that Kurian is concocting stories around the Father’s death. He claimed that Kattuthara relationship with his brother was strained due to a dispute over ancestral property in Kerala and, now, Kurian is playing into the hands of “anti-Bishop Franco” group. He added that Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun, is open to any type of investigation against the allegations levelled against him.