3 held after tussle over administration of church

TRICHY: Three people, including a 53-year-old woman, were remanded by police on Saturday evening following a tussle between two factions allegedly over administration of a church.

Cases were registered against six people at

Palakkarai

police station, out of whom P Helen, 53, her husband Pichai Immanuel, 64, from one faction, and Johnson, 37, from the opposite group, were remanded. Police are on a lookout for the other three – Mariya Aswini, Vinith and Rosi – who were also involved in the incident. A 53-year-old woman, Berli, was injured in the tussle and was admitted at a hospital in Trichy for treatment.

According to the Palakkarai police, Immanuel, Helen and their daughter Aswini had a long standing dispute with Berli’s family, on who would be in-charge of the administration of Adaikala Madha Church in Palakkarai. Aswini, on Friday night, alleged that Johnson and Vinith from Berli’s faction hit the two-wheeler she was riding with her son. Following this, on Saturday a tussle erupted between the factions. Each group reportedly attacked each other with machetes and wooden logs.

During the fight, Berli injured her right hand and was taken to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) for treatment. After receiving complaints from both sides the police arrested Helen, Immanuel and Johnson.