Punjab hawala money recovery: Diocese stands by priest but will probe episode

Meanwhile, Agnelo Gracias, the Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Jalandhar, issued a statement to the Church officials to clarify that the Diocese had nothing to with the companies run by Father Anthony.

“You must have read about a huge amount of money being found with a priest of our Diocese. All are aware of the existence of the group of companies, under the name of ‘Sahodhaya’, for the supply of text books and smart boards for our schools, for the training and employment of security personnel for our institutions, for construction of schools and churches etc. These companies are not run by the Diocese. They are ‘partnership’ companies with some priests, who belong to our Diocese, as partners with due permission. It is within the ambit of the law. The accounts are audited and Income Tax is paid in advance,” the statement read.

Coming out in support of Fr Anthony and his claim of Rs 6.55 crore being embezzled by the police, Gracis also said Sahodhaya had just finished collecting the money from the sale of books to 70-odd schools in the Diocese.

“The company had already deposited Rs 14 crore in the bank and the balance amount of Rs 16.65 crore was to be deposited on March 29. The employees of South Indian Bank, Jalandhar, were counting the money to deposit the same in the bank. Khanna police trespassed into the priest’s residence and forcibly took away approximately Rs 16.65 crore. The Khanna police authorities have presented Rs 9.66 crore to I-T authorities as the amount they collected. Rs 6.65 crore vanished in their hands,” the statement read.

However, even Gracias’s statement was silent on the unaccounted Rs 34 lakh.

Later in the day the South Indian Bank, which maintains the account of priest’s company, issued a statement. “On request of our customer M/s SAHODAYA, a partnership firm maintaining a current account with our bank, we had authorized Mr Sandeep William (staff) along with Mr Gurdeep Singh (gunman) on March 29 to visit FMJ House, at village Partapura, Jalandhar and count the cash at the aforementioned premises of our customer, which was eventually to be deposited in their account maintained with us”.

“While the above stated employees were counting the cash on the first floor of the premises in the presence of Mr Navpreet Masih, deputed by Father Anthony Madassery, a raid was conducted by the police party. Some of the members of the raiding party came to the first floor and forcibly seized the cash amounting to approximately above Rs 6 crore…,” read the statement.

Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta on Monday had ordered a departmental probe into the allegations levelled by Father Anthony. Khanna police have refuted the allegations with SSP Dhruv Dahiya saying that he was “open to any kind of probe”.