Facing threats from a mob, S Shanthi Roselin, who has taken on the Catholic Church over the alleged murder of her daughter by a priest, has sought police protection in Coimbatore. Shanthi has alleged that the priest had murdered her daughter, Fathima Sophie.
Fathima was found dead on July 23, 2013 and the police had originally registered a case of suicide.
However, Fr Arockiaraj then allegedly confessed to Shanthi that he had murdered Fathima. The Church defrocked the priest, but he was not charged with murder, until Shanthi’s sustained fight resulted in the arrest (and subsequent release on bail) of five other top priests on charges of covering up the murder. Arockiaraj had been arrested in 2015 following a television sting on him, and released on conditional bail.
Shanthi had said that the priest had been very close to her family and had often taken her daughter to a church at Walayar. "But on July 23, 2013, on the way to Walayar, he harassed my daughter and killed her," she alleged.
Last week, Arun Janardhanan of the Indian Express reported on Shanthi’s long fight against the Church.
On Monday night, a mob pelted stones at Shanthi’s residence in Kottaimedu. Police officials said that a mob gathered outside her residence and pelted stones. "We sent our officials to the spot immediately, after which the crowd dispersed," said police officials.
Shanthi then submitted a petition to the Deputy Commissioner (Crime), Ramya Bharathi claiming that her life is in danger and that she needed police protection.