Ronita Torcato
Madhya Pradesh law enforcement has announced cash rewards to the public for help to arrest two Catholic priests during the pendency of their anticipatory bail applications on charges of levying exorbitant school fees.
A church official decried the police tactic: “It seems to be yet another attempt to terrorize us by announcing cash rewards,” said Father Davis George, the vicar-general of Jabalpur diocese, Madhya Pradesh.
On August 23 Madhya Pradesh police announced a cash reward of Rs 5,000 each for detaining Fathers Siby Joseph and Walter John Xalxo for their alleged role in levying high fees in two Catholic schools.
Jabalpur district superintendent of police, Adithya Pratap Singh, announced the reward for public assistance to nab the priests who have evaded arrest since May 27.
“It is ridiculous to issue such an order when their anticipatory bail applications are pending in the top court in the state,” Father George told UCA News on Aug. 26.
He said the priests were “implicated in a false case, like others arrested in the case, and the Supreme Court granted bail to all those approached it, finding no merit in the charges against them.”
The police announcement came three days after India’s Supreme Court ordered the release of 12 people, including a Protestant bishop of the Church of North India (CNI), a Catholic priest, and three pastors.
India’s apex court had ordered their release on August. 20, disregarding the MP state government’s claim that the accused would tamper with evidence.
