Bangalore: Murder of Fr K J Thomas an inside job, feel police

Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Apr 5: The five police investigation teams formed to solve the mysterious murder case of Fr K J Thomas (65) at St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary at Malleshwaram here during the early hours on Monday April 1, have not yet gained access to any clinching evidence, it is learnt. Still, they have enough reasons to believe that people known to the priest, perhaps involved with church administration, were behind the dastardly act.

This is a deviation from the earlier perception that the murder had something to do with the prolonged language-related tussle between two different groups.

The post mortem of the priest’s body was conducted at M S Ramaiah Hospital in the city, and his body was taken to Kerala on Tuesday. It is gathered that the late father’s sister lives there.

According to The New Indian Express, police sources believe that the rector was done in by people known to him. Evidence suggests that the assassins had a dialogue with the priest before he was killed. Fr Thomas was hit on his head with a blunt weapon. The assailants had also hit on his forehead and then strangulated him by using the dhoti he was wearing, it is gathered. The investigators believe that one of the priest’s killers knocked at the priest’s door, and when he came out, his attention was diverted, providing two others who had accompanied him, an opportunity to attack him from behind. The assailants had wiped out blood with the gown the priest was wearing, and had searched his room for documents they needed.

“The murderers do not seem to be professional killers. They had not committed the crime for gain, as evidenced by the fact that valuables did not go missing from the seminary, and also that the murderers took time to wipe out blood stains,” the investigators have said.

The police have questioned about 40 persons including staff of the seminary, priests, canteen staff, and others, relating to the case, besides obtaining their finger prints. The police are trying to match these finger prints with the ones on the cupboard. Besides rounding up about ten ruffians loitering in the area regularly, questioning them, and obtaining their finger prints before releasing them, the police teams have also been monitoring movements of a few people. They are also investigating the case from different angles.

The above publication said that Fr Patrick Xavier, who too lives in the staff quarters of the seminary, told the police that he had overheard Fr Thomas asking some people at around 2.30 am on Monday to leave the premises lest he would call the police. He clarified that the conversation was not clearly heard, nor was he aware what went on in the priest’s room thereafter. Suspecting that those who were talking to Fr Thomas were drunk, he said he was scared to come out. This was the picture he gave to the police on Tuesday. The police have noted that the previous day, Fr Patrick gave them a different version, explaining that he heard some sound, which he thought had come from outside the premises compound.

Additional commissioner of police (law and order), Alok Kumar, asserted that the investigations are progressing on the right path.

• Bangalore Archdiocese bids tearful adieu to Fr K J Thomas
• Bangalore: Priest found murdered in seminary premises