Kerala High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas's absence in the court while considering a plea alleging its earlier order to take over Kothamangalam church and hand it over to Orthodox faction was not followed by the administration.
The High Court said that the collector had to be present in court within five minutes or else he would be arrested. Justice PB Suresh Kumar pointed out that it was the Collector's wish not to be present in the court.
The counsel, appearing for Kerala government, then asked the court to wait for some time for the collector to appear.
Amid a legal battle between Jacobite and Orthodox factions, Kerala High Court had, in December, directed the state government to take over the St Thomas Church at Kothamangalam in Eranakulam district and give control of the same to the Orthodox faction.
The High Court's decision had come on a plea seeking implementation of 2017 Supreme Court verdict which had ordered handing over more than 1,000 parishes and churches of the Malankara Church to the Orthodox faction.
The plea, filed by Vicar of Orthodox church, alleged that this was not done.
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