Calcutta Bishop bracing for trouble as detractors accuse him of fraud

Calcutta – Rev. P.S.P. Raju, the Bishop of Kolkata Diocese is bracing himself for trouble as his detractors have doubled their efforts to malign his name and have him removed – this time by connecting him with a case of financial misappropriation in procurement of land for St. Thomas College of Engineering and Technology.

The Calcutta High Court recently adjourned till November 19 the hearing of anticipatory bail plea of Rev P S P Raju, Church of North India's Bishop of Kolkata, in connection with an alleged land allotment scam in setting up an engineering college.

A division bench comprising Justice N A Chowdhury and Justice A Bhattacharya, hearing the submission of Bishop Raju's counsel in favour of his plea, restrained the prosecution from arresting Raju till November 19, when the matter would be taken up again.

According to news reports, Bishop Raju’s counsel submitted that the decision to gift the land to the college was taken collectively.

Bishop Raju, who is also the chairman of the Board of Governors of St Thomas School, Kidderpore, filed the application apprehending arrest in connection with the case of financial misappropriation in procurement of land for St. Thomas College of Engineering and Technology.

The case was filed on the basis of a complaint for breach of trust over the registration of land for the college by registrar of the college, Goutam Banerjee, at the Shakespeare Sarani police station.

Banerjee alleged that the Bishop had proposed to set up an engineering and technology institute to function under the Calcutta Diocesan Education Council. The Bishop promised to donate 5.27 acres owned by St Thomas School for the college.

An agreement was signed between the governing body of the school and the council in March 2000, but according to Banerjee, the Bishop, who is also chairman of the council, has yet to register the deed.

“The engineering college was set up by spending Rs 2 crore. An additional Rs 40 lakh was spent for affiliation,” said Banerjee. “But now, the Bishop wants the college to vacate the plot and shift. This will jeopardize the academic career of many students.”

In tow with the criminal case, there is the civil suit filed against the Bishop in the Calcutta High Court by the principal of the college and former secretary of the Diocese, Rev. Sailesh Mukhopadhyay, questioning the Bishop’s authority to gift land to the college.

“This is, perhaps, the first time in recent memory that the head of a religious body had to seek anticipatory bail. We, as a community, are ashamed of today’s development,” said Rev. Mukhopadhyay.

However, at a press conference convened recently, the Bishop clarified, “...at that time all the board of governors collectively felt and agreed upon that as per the legal opinion taken the establishment of the college and giving the land for the college was within the purview of the governors.”

He further said it was a collective decision and that he did not take this decision on his own. He went on to state that certain people were trying to malign him and tarnish the image of the entire Diocese.

The principal and the registrar of the college refused to comment when contacted, saying that the matter was sub judice.

But this is not the only time Bishop Raju is facing dissidence in Kolkata.

On September 24, when the triennial meet of the diocese council members of the Church of North India began in the city, the anti–Bishop faction raised its voice too. And, with the pro–Bishop group joining issue, police had to intervene to calm down the people gathered outside St Paul’s Cathedral, venue of the meet.

While members of the anti–Bishop camp held rallies outside the cathedral demanding his removal, his supporters shouted slogans against former secretary of the diocese, Rev. Sailesh Mukhopadhyay for his “attempts to tarnish the image of the CNI” by bringing false charges against the Bishop.

However, Rev. R. David, spokesperson for the CNI, extended his whole–hearted support for the Bishop and stated that the meeting would go on as scheduled.

He added: “The council members feel that the name and spirit of the community was being unnecessarily sullied by a few individuals with vested interests, who are trying to further their own ends by making the Bishop a party to the controversy.”

Trouble started when Mr Renshaw J Dennis, who was invited by the Bishop, to do the roll–call, termed the meeting as invalid on the grounds that “certain churches do not have representation in the council and the bishop who was presiding over the session is charged in a criminal case”.

Though the bishop showed the “injunction from the court” that permits him to conduct the affairs of the council, his detractors were not satisfied.

At the same time, around 50 people from both factions collected outside the north gate of St Paul’s Cathedral armed with banners and placards and shouted slogans.

The council meeting, however, went on as scheduled. On the second and final day of the council meet tomorrow, the same scenes took place as the selections to various committees were held.

The meeting in the cathedral hall was far from orderly. There were heated exchanges between the two sides. Members belonging to the anti–Bishop lobby started airing their grievances.

Some even walked out, saying the meeting should not have been held, as elections were pending to three of the 27 churches.

Since the recent past, the Calcutta Diocese has been sharply divided with a section of diocese members agitating, alleging that the Bishop was involved in financial irregularities.