Man impersonates dead bishop to fraudulently sell his land

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - A man, bearing the same name as a late bishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church, impersonated the cleric to fraudulently sell his land on the outskirts of the city, diocese officials said Monday.

Bishop Gheevargheese Mar Dioscorous, head of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam diocese, had died in 1999 but his signature appeared on a land sale document at the sub-registrar’s office in March this year, according to media reports Saturday.

“Somebody has impersonated the late bishop. That person’s election identity card shows the name of the late bishop. The late bishop gifted the land to the diocese through his will, but this has been manipulated,” K.K. Thomas, a priest of the Thiruvananthapuram diocese, told IANS.

The bishop owned 50 cents of land (approximately half an acre) and, of this, the impersonator sold 27 cents to a woman.

Speaking to IANS, Bishop Gabriel Mar Gregorious, the present head of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam diocese, said that they have sought an appointment with the director general of police to file a complaint and will also meet the state home minister.

“The fraud has come to our notice. According to the late bishop’s will and as per the tradition of our church, all his property belongs to the church. Now that this has surfaced, we will be meeting the home minister and the registration minister to see that the fraud is unearthed, he said.