A Catholic priest has been arrested and sent to 15-day judicial custody on the alleged charges of forgery and cheating, police said on Thursday.
Father Anand Muttungal, the former spokesman and public relation officer of Catholic Church of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested and produced in court on Wednesday, inspector Hari Om Dixit of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) said.
Muttungal has been sent to judicial custody till December 26, he added.
In October 2017, the EOW received a complaint from 200 people, including one G John, that Muttungal and others had duped them on the pretext of giving them residential plots on the outskirts of Bhopal after taking money from them, the official added.
After thorough investigation, the EOW filed an FIR on October 17 this year, naming Muttungal as the main accused, along with eight others and charged them with different counts including forgery and cheating, he added.
When contacted, Bhopal Archdiocese Archbishop Leo Cornelio said, "I don't want to comment over Muttungal."
Asked if Muttungal was still a priest with them, the prelate said, "I am praying for the conversion of his heart and mind."
Father Muttungal is innocent and he has been framed under a conspiracy of which the law enforcers are a part, Rashtriya Isai Mahasabha's (RIM) Madhya Pradesh spokesman and PRO Richard James said.
"We are waiting for some papers to seek his bail. He is the national co-ordinator of the RIM, a registered organisation working for welfare of Christians," he added.
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