11-02-2006, 09:06 PM
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>TN 'bishops' cheat public of more than Rs 40 crores</b>
Author: V.P. Raghu
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: October 27, 2006
The increasing number of bishops cheating the public in the guise of building houses for tsunami victims and the poor has turned the spotlight on the so-called "independent" churches, of which there are said to be 1,500 in Tamil Nadu.
<b>At least four bishops have been accused in recent weeks of cheating the public of Rs 40 crores in the name of charity. While two of them have been arrested, the police is hunting the other two</b>.
The Madras Mylapore Archbishop, A.M. Chinnappa, had recently distanced himself from these bishops, saying that Catholic bishops had to be appointed by the Pope and that these robed men did not fall into that category. He had also warned people against being taken in by such self-styled bishops.
<b>The archbishop's statement received a sharp response from the Independent Churches of India association, which objected to his suggestion that the bishops belonging to independent churches were frauds. The association claimed that proper procedures were followed in the appointment of its bishops.</b>
<!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The controversy, however, has not died down as more cases of bishops cheating the public have occurred since then.
Over the last two months, at least three cases have been registered against four bishops of the Moulin Mission Trust in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, the Calvary Mission Trust in Vellore and the Hallelujah Full Gospel Missionaries of India, Chennai, by the Tamil Nadu police. <b>It started with priest Anandaraj of the Moulin Mission Trust, who was arrested by the Mahabalipuram police for allegedly swindling over Rs 10 crores from contractors by collecting earnest money deposits from them after promising them orders for construction of houses for tsunami victims and the poor. Priest Job Saravanan of the Calvary Mission Trust is absconding although the police arrested his associates. He is accused of swindling people of over Rs 20 crores using the same modus operandi.</b>
<b>The police arrested priest Joseph Solomon of the third church for cheating the public of Rs 7.5 crores. His associate, Sathyaseelan, another bishop, has escaped to the United States, according to the police. The operations of these self-appointed bishops are spread throughout South India, the police say.</b>
Bishop Dr M. Prakash, founder of Independent Churches of India, when contacted, said the bishops involved in these cases were not members of the association. "They have brought shame to the independent churches," he said.
Bishop Prakash said he had been trying to bring all independent churches in the state under one umbrella for the last three years. He defined independent churches as those separate from the established ones, like the Catholic Church. "It is time for the independent church to have a common code of conduct by which the members will have to abide. The constitution will be goal-oriented," he said. "I am in touch with the heads of all independent churches. We will meet soon and will make a constitution for the functioning of such churches," he added.
He claimed that 60 per cent of the Christian community in the state were members of independent churches and did not belong to Catholic or CSI churches.<b> "We have around 1,500 independent churches in Tamil Nadu and all over the country the number of such churches may be more than 40,000. Yes, among them there are a few black sheep. Those who are involved in fraudulent activities are making use of social welfare projects to achieve their ends</b>. No bishop will to do something to harm others," said Bishop Prakash, who has been running the SISWA Mission Trust in Anna Nagar in the city for the last 30 years. It is mainly involved in religious activities. According to him there is no uniformity in belief among the independent churches, which comprise various sects whose beliefs differ from those of the established churches. "We believe in Christ and in doing good," he asserted.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>TN 'bishops' cheat public of more than Rs 40 crores</b>
Author: V.P. Raghu
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: October 27, 2006
The increasing number of bishops cheating the public in the guise of building houses for tsunami victims and the poor has turned the spotlight on the so-called "independent" churches, of which there are said to be 1,500 in Tamil Nadu.
<b>At least four bishops have been accused in recent weeks of cheating the public of Rs 40 crores in the name of charity. While two of them have been arrested, the police is hunting the other two</b>.
The Madras Mylapore Archbishop, A.M. Chinnappa, had recently distanced himself from these bishops, saying that Catholic bishops had to be appointed by the Pope and that these robed men did not fall into that category. He had also warned people against being taken in by such self-styled bishops.
<b>The archbishop's statement received a sharp response from the Independent Churches of India association, which objected to his suggestion that the bishops belonging to independent churches were frauds. The association claimed that proper procedures were followed in the appointment of its bishops.</b>
<!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> The controversy, however, has not died down as more cases of bishops cheating the public have occurred since then.
Over the last two months, at least three cases have been registered against four bishops of the Moulin Mission Trust in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, the Calvary Mission Trust in Vellore and the Hallelujah Full Gospel Missionaries of India, Chennai, by the Tamil Nadu police. <b>It started with priest Anandaraj of the Moulin Mission Trust, who was arrested by the Mahabalipuram police for allegedly swindling over Rs 10 crores from contractors by collecting earnest money deposits from them after promising them orders for construction of houses for tsunami victims and the poor. Priest Job Saravanan of the Calvary Mission Trust is absconding although the police arrested his associates. He is accused of swindling people of over Rs 20 crores using the same modus operandi.</b>
<b>The police arrested priest Joseph Solomon of the third church for cheating the public of Rs 7.5 crores. His associate, Sathyaseelan, another bishop, has escaped to the United States, according to the police. The operations of these self-appointed bishops are spread throughout South India, the police say.</b>
Bishop Dr M. Prakash, founder of Independent Churches of India, when contacted, said the bishops involved in these cases were not members of the association. "They have brought shame to the independent churches," he said.
Bishop Prakash said he had been trying to bring all independent churches in the state under one umbrella for the last three years. He defined independent churches as those separate from the established ones, like the Catholic Church. "It is time for the independent church to have a common code of conduct by which the members will have to abide. The constitution will be goal-oriented," he said. "I am in touch with the heads of all independent churches. We will meet soon and will make a constitution for the functioning of such churches," he added.
He claimed that 60 per cent of the Christian community in the state were members of independent churches and did not belong to Catholic or CSI churches.<b> "We have around 1,500 independent churches in Tamil Nadu and all over the country the number of such churches may be more than 40,000. Yes, among them there are a few black sheep. Those who are involved in fraudulent activities are making use of social welfare projects to achieve their ends</b>. No bishop will to do something to harm others," said Bishop Prakash, who has been running the SISWA Mission Trust in Anna Nagar in the city for the last 30 years. It is mainly involved in religious activities. According to him there is no uniformity in belief among the independent churches, which comprise various sects whose beliefs differ from those of the established churches. "We believe in Christ and in doing good," he asserted.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->