Cop attacks pastor, wife over land row

A case has been registered against a civil police officer of the Kulamavu police station and two others on charges of attacking a pastor and his wife at Thadiyampadu here.

The case was registered after the couple, N C Chacko, 68, and wife Marykutty John, 58, accused the policeman, K G Raju, who is their relative, of attacking them over a land dispute.

According to the complainants, the policeman and two others attacked them on Sunday night over the ownership of a temporary building of the Thadiyampadu Malankara Christian Church. The pastor and his wife were admitted to a private hospital in Kattappana following the attack, the police said.

According to sources, the church was built on three cents of land bought from Raju’s relative around 22 years ago. The dispute has been persisting since then. The policeman had a running feud even with the previous pastor, the sources said. The problem started after Raju raised objection over a portion of a temporary shed near the church. The pastor agreed to remove the shed if Raju provided supporting documents to back his claims. This provoked the policeman, culminating in the alleged attack, the sources said. Marykutty suffered injuries to her eye. The timely arrival of locals helped avert further complications, the police said.