ED raids at CSI Kerala diocese

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided headquarters of the CSI South Kerala diocese, which houses the office of Church supreme leader Bishop A Dharmaraj Rasalam following allegations of corruption at the Church-run medical college at Karakonam.

Simultaneous raids were also being carried out at the residences of Church's secretary T.T.Praveen and Dr Bennet Abraham- medical director of CSI Medical College, Karakonam, near Thiruvananathapuram.

Abraham rose to prominence after the Communist Party of India (CPI) pitted him against Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. However, he finished a poor third.

This was followed by allegations of Thiruvananthapuram being a paid seat bringing the CPI under fire.

The raids apparently followed complaints about black money coming to the Church following admissions to the Church-run medical college at Karakonam.

Numerous complaints have been registered at two police stations in the capital district. Recently, a court also put the bishop and the others who head the Church in a tight spot in a corruption case.

April witnessed protests at the iconic MM CSI Church in the capital city after two groups of the church engaged in a standoff as one section did not want the church to be elevated to a Cathedral, a nod for which was given by the CSI South Kerala diocese.