HC adjourns hearing on Jacobite plea to Sept 30

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of an appeal filed by the Jacobite faction in connection with the dispute over the Kolanchery church issue to September 30.A Division Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice C T Ravikumar also issued notices to Orthodox and Jacobite factions. The Jacobite faction approached the court against the order of Additional District Court granting permission to the Orthodox faction for administration of the Kolenchery church and a chapel at Kottoor. The court recorded the reports submitted by the mediators of the Kerala Mediation Centre (KMC). The mediators submitted that the mediation process was fruitful to some extent, but it is not successful in the absence of any recorded settlement. The mediators suggested that the issue could be settled amicabily only through court orders. Earlier, pursuant to a request made by District Collector P A Sheikh Pareeth for mediation, the KMC had appointed its Director  Advocate N Dharmadan and Advocate Sreelal Warriar to mediate in the disputes. The government pleader submitted that both factions have to maintain law and order and this should be ensured by the court  through an order. Then the Division Bench stated that the maintenance of law and order is a matter for the executive and it is only in exceptional circumstances it becomes necessary for the judiciary to vest such exercise of police power in the state.