KOCHI: The Ernakulam CBI court has acquitted all the accused in the case of killing TM Varghese, a member of the Malankara Orthodox Church and a timber merchant, due to a church dispute. The verdict comes 20 years after the murder.

The case is that Varghese was hacked to death by hired killers on MC Road near Perumbavoor on December 5, 2002.

A young man named Binu was killed when Varghese's car hit him when the church dispute was raging. The CBI had found that Varghese was killed by the opposite faction using hired killers, accusing him of intentionally killing Binu, who belonged to the Jacobite faction. There were 19 accused including Father Varghese Thekekkara, who was the priest of Perumbavoor Bethel Suloko Jacobite Church.

After Binu's death, a relief fund was collected under the leadership of Father Varghese. The CBI alleges that a part of this was given to Binu's family and the remaining amount was used to pay the quotation gang and that Father Varghese conspired with the second accused Joey Varghese and hired the killers. Three of the defendants died later, and the rest faced trial.

In 2007, the High Court ordered a CBI investigation on a petition filed by Saramma, Varghese's wife, after investigations by the police and the crime branch were unsuccessful. The trial of the case started in November 2021 and 85 prosecution witnesses were examined.

19 accused

Father Varghese Thekekara, Joy Varghese, Elias Mathew, Eldos alias Abraham Paulose, AY Thambi, MM Abdul Wahab, Sajin alias Sajimon, VN Pratish, NG Prasad, PP Tony, KJ Jayson, VN Jayaraj alias Rajesh (deceased), PJ Srivalsan, PD Roy, K Anil Davis (deceased), KR Anand, PP Antu (deceased), AR Sivan, CV Josmon aka Joshi.