CNI Bishop accused of misusing funds

Church of North India's Calcutta diocese is in trouble after the church officials were accused of alleged misappropriation of tsunami funds.

The accused, CNI Bishop of Calcutta, Rev PSP Raju who is also the chairman of Calcutta Urban Service was unavailable for comments on the allegations.

On Thursday, members of 27 churches under the diocese alleged that few officials had misused Rs 22 lakh donated by students and guardians of 27 city schools for tsunami relief.

Members of a city based organization, 'People's Synod', will assemble in front of Bishop House on Friday to protest and demand the removal of Bishop PSP Raju.

The issue came to light when a London based donor agency, Methodist Relief and Development Fund, accused Calcutta Urban Society (CUSE) of misappropriating Rs 3–crore granted for the tsunami relief work. The CUS board is head by Bishop Raju.

“We are shocked with the way a section of diocese officials has misappropriated funds donated by the British donor agency and also by schools for tsunami relief. This has hurt the entire Christian community of Calcutta. The guilty must be punished,” said Dipak Kumar Nath, the convener of People’s Synod.

The members of the People's Synod too were upset of how funds donated for the poor and homeless were misappropriated. Schools like La Martiniere, St Thomas, St James and Pratt Memorial, participated in the funding of the tsunami relief.

“We will launch a movement against such illegal transfer of church property for personal gains,” said Reverend Sailesh Mukhopadhyay of People’s Synod.