The Supreme Court on Tuesday blasted the Kerala government & threatened to send its officials, including the chief secretary, to jail for contempt for not implementing its verdict on centuryold dispute between Orthodox & Patriarchal factions of the state’s Malankara Church.
A bench of Arun Mishra & M R Shah expressed anguish over state government dragging its feet in enforcing the order which was passed in 2017 after which multiple petitions were being filed in Kerala HC & SC to re-agitate the issue. The court’s 2017 order gave the Orthodox group control over more than 1,100 parishes & their churches but it was not being enforced & the state government said it is exploring amicable solution to prevent a law & order problem.
“You (state government) are not above law & we will summon all your officials including chief secretary to the court & send them directly to jail from here. Do not make mockery of the court’s order. We have the power to send people to jail for contempt,” an agitated bench said.
The court was hearing a plea filed by St Marys Orthodox Church seeking direction to state police chief to provide adequate police protection to the church, its properties, including chapel, cemetery, & priests. The state government has repeatedly sought time to implement the SC’s order & submitted that it was trying to broker a peace between the two rival factions to find out amicable solution.
The bench was livid & noted that instead of implementing its order, the state government & chief secretary are passing directions to the contrary. “If the Kerala government is going to act in this manner, we will not tolerate it. You are making mockery of our order. We have tolerated too much & now time has come to act against you. The law on the controversy is well settled & the court had passed the order but fresh petitions are being filed in HC & this court to waste time,” the bench said.
