Founded in 1987 by Mathew Naickomparambil in Muringoor near Potta, the Catholic run Charismatic Divine Retreat Centre(CDRC) is projected as a byword for miraculous healing, cure for addictions, strong spiritual experiences, and a way of life founded on the Bible!. The propaganda is the blind can see, the dumb can talk and the lame can walk once he visits "Potta".Several months back based on an anonymous letter complaining about criminal and anti-social activities taking place at the center, High Court initiated a suo motu proceedings and ordered an SIT Inquiry into the allegation of foreign exchange violations by the center and unnatural deaths that took place in and around the center during a period of two years.
A team lead by Vinson M. Paul, Inspector General of Police probed into various allegations. What came tumbling out of Centre's closet were mind numbing allegations of sexual harassment, missing persons, mysterious deaths, financial irregularities and illegally running a hospital!. Based on the findings of investigation Director-General of Prosecutions (DGP) made a submission to court that ‘‘shocking’’ facts had been unearthed by the police and medical team that inspected Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, and that they could not be disclosed in open court, Justice K R Udayabhanu of the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the investigation team to submit a confidential report within two weeks.
It was found:-
1. During 1996-2006, as many as 974 premature deaths occurred at the centre, and bodies were cremated without providing information to the police. The documents were allegedly forged to make it appear that the deaths were natural.
2. Conducting of a psychiatric institution without license, administration of psychiatric drugs on several persons (15 persons are still at the centre).
3. Several persons were locked in cells. Persons showing violent signs are injected with some unknown drugs. Treatment is imparted by untrained persons. There are no medical practitioners at the centre.
However what followed after the investigation can be quoted as shining example of "secularism"
Congress strongly opposed the investigation. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala said
the Left Democratic Front Government (LDF) should apologise to the authorities of the Divine Retreat Centre at Muringoor for having "raided" it.Based on writ petition by Fr George Panackal, Director of the Centre, DGP was made to give an undertaking before the Kerala High Court that the results of the investigation by the special team investigating the allegations against Divine Retreat Centre Muringoor, Thrissur, would not be leaked out to the media.!
This march, The Supreme Court verdict e null and void the Kerala High Court single judge’s order for investigation into the functioning of the Divine Retreat Centre at Muringoor High Court judges cannot treat anonymous letters and petitions listing allegations against individuals or institutions as public interest litigation and order suo motu investigation.
Now no one remebers the investigation....
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