UCA News
Contribute

Court hears priest extradition case

Defense questions legality of warrant and arrest, accused says he will prove his innocence
Court hears priest extradition case
The Patiala House courts
Published: April 04, 2012 09:23 AM GMT
Updated: April 04, 2012 09:23 AM GMT

A Catholic priest charged with sexual assault in the US appeared today in a Delhi court hearing the case for his extradition. Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, 57, told the magistrate the molestation charge against him is “absolutely false”. Fr Jeyapaul is accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl in 2004 when he was parish priest of Blessed Sacrament Church in Minnesota. His lawyers filed an application to dismiss the case, as they claimed the allegation is “baseless” and the arrest “illegal.” They argued that Fr Jeyapaul’s arrest on March 16 in Tamil Nadu following an Interpol alert was illegal since “neither was a warrant served on him nor was he produced in a court” as mandated by law. Special Public Prosecutor Navin Krishna Giri sought time to answer the charge and the magistrate fixed April 21 for the next hearing. Last year, the Indian priest grabbed international headlines following media reports he allegedly molested a teenager while serving in the US. In July last year, Crookston diocese where he worked from September 2004 to August 2005 agreed to pay a US$750,000 settlement to the alleged victim. Fr Jeyapaul was suspended by Ootacamund diocese following a canonical trial, said diocesan spokesman Fr Sebastian Selvanathan. However, he said the diocese has not received any complaints from any other parishes or schools in which the priest had worked. Related reports Priest in court on sex charge

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia