Relief for Jeppiar in Demonte Case

CHENNAI: The criminal proceedings pending against Jeppiar, Archbishop AM Chinnapa and seven others before the CCB in Egmore, in connection with the DeMonte property case, were quashed by the Madras HC on Sep 6. Holding that no offence under the charged Sections of the IPC had been made out, Justice T Mathivanan quashed the criminal proceedings.Following a complaint from MG Devasahayam, the CCB registered a case against Jeppiar and 11 others for offences under various sections of the IPC, all relating breach of trust and cheating.  The charge against the accused was that they had committed criminal breach of trust pertaining to immovable property valued at crores of rupees. They had misappropriated funds belonging to a trust founded by Sir John DeMonte, a Portuguese, who left behind 258 acres in Bens Garden (Boat Club Road) in RA Puram and 186 grounds in DeMonte Colony on St. Mary’s Road and TTK Road for charitable purposes.Devasahayam alleged that the property had been illegally put in the possession of the accused by the then Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore and the successors of Bishop of St. Thome, who were the trustees and administrators of the property. And the CCB registered the case. Aggrieved, Jeppiar and others filed the present criminal original pleas seeking to quash the case.