Hoshiarpur/Kottayam: Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, a key witness in the Kerala nun rape case who testified against accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, was Monday found dead under mysterious circumstances in Hoshiarpur district, police said.
Kattuthara, 62, was found unconscious in his room on the catholic church premises in Dasuya, 40 km from Hoshiarpur town Monday morning and was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said.
Police said the cause of the death would be known after postmortem. No visible injury marks were found on the body. “There was vomit in the room,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) AR Sharma.
“The viscera will be sent for examination which will throw light on the cause of the death,” he added. Sharma said the police were investigating the case from all the angles. “The police are waiting for the family of the priest to come from Kerala. After they reach here, the postmortem of the body of the priest will be conducted,” he added.
Sharma said the priest retired for the day after taking his meal Sunday night. “In the morning today, the room cleaner, who went to the room of the priest for cleaning, found the door locked from inside. After knocking on the door several times without success, he saw from the windowpane of the room the priest apparently lying unconscious on the bed. He immediately informed the school administration, which got the door opened and found the priest dead,” he said.
Agencies