480 CSI priests booked for organizing retreat at Munnar
As many as 480 priests belonging to the Church of South India (CSI) in Kerala, a prominent denomination, have been booked for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols by organizing and participating in a retreat at Munnar last month, police said on Thursday. A case has been registered under Section 269 of IPC and the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Act (KEDA).
Two priests succumbed to COVID-19; 100 priests infected
The police registered a case based on the statement of the Tahsildar (revenue official) following media reports that the annual retreat had turned into a super spreader event as over 100 priests had been infected and two vicars had succumbed to it.
The event was criticized on social media platforms
A section of the priests and laymen under the church recently lodged a detailed complaint with the government also about the alleged pandemic protocol violations in the five-day event, held in Idukki from April 13. Some of them had criticized the church on social media platforms over this, following which the controversial event came to light in the media.
Police is collecting photographs, videos of the event
KR Manoj, Inspector, Munnar, who is investigating the case said, "We have registered a case against 480 priests and the church management based on the statement of the Tahsildar. The investigation is on now. We are trying to elicit details by collecting photographs and videos regarding the event." He said that they could comment on anything about the case only after investigation.
Priests traveled from Thiruvananthapuram to Idukki in a bus
As per the media reports, the majority of priests, who took part in the retreat, belonged to the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. The reports said that they were all taken together from Thiruvananthapuram to the CSI retreat center at Munnar in Idukki, over 270 km, in a bus. CSI moderator and Bishop of South Kerala Diocese, A Dharmaraj Rasalam were also reportedly among those infected.
No protocol violation at the retreat: CSI
While some of the infected priests are reportedly under treatment at a church-run hospital near the state capital, others are under home quarantine. The CSI authorities were unavailable for comment. However, they had earlier claimed that there was no protocol violation in the retreat. They also maintained that the priests had been infected several days after the annual retreat.
Kerala recorded 41,593 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday
Notably, Kerala is amongst the second worst-hit state after Maharashtra. On Wednesday, the state logged 41,593 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the state tally to 17,43,932 COVID-19 cases. The state has so far recorded 5,565 COVID-19 deaths and 13,62,363 COVID-19 recoveries.
