Former High Court justice accuses Bishop of Mysore of sexual misconduct, murder

Former Bombay HC justice Micheal Saldanha has accused Bishop of Mysore KA William of murder, sexual misconduct, corruption by “letting loose a virtual reign of terror” in the Diocese of Mysore.

On May 29, Justice Saldanha had sent a legal notice to Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) President Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is also the Archbishop of Bombay. He had also sent the legal notice to both the Christian clerics - Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado and Bishop William. Former Justice Saldanha also accused William’s superior – the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado, of colluding and covering up murders allegedly committed by Bishop William, Mid Day reported.

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) President, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is also the Archbishop of Bombay, was also copied on the legal notice that read as, “Following the deaths of four priests – two murders, one hanging and one so-called accident, the Bishop of Mysore has let loose a virtual reign of terror in the Diocese.”

Addressing the alleged corruption part of it, the notice stated, "He has used the underworld mafia and protection from the local police… it has already resulted in as much as 23% of the Catholic Laity leaving the church. For the last one year, this man has been asked to leave, but he defiantly carries on terrorising".

According to Saldhana, Bishop Machado has ignored 17 written complaints “fully backed by evidence,” all of which have come from “men of credibility,” a majority of them being priests.

Justice Saldanha has also accused Bishop William of calling an urgent meeting on a 12-hour notice to pronounce a transfer order against 37 priests, who had complained regarding Bishop William’s alleged involvement in criminal offences, misappropriation of funds and sexual misconduct. The notice read, “and in three minutes, pronounced a transfer order, which can be defined as revenge transfers targeting the priests who had complained against him, and sending eminent scholars to remote villages where there is not even drinking water."

Earlier several parishes had filed complaints to Pope Francis against Bishop William accusing him of practising factionalism, favouritism, illegal parenthood, sexual liaisons and corruption. Bishop William, along with Father Leslie Moras, was involved in the 2019 Mysore Church sex scandal when a woman, who worked in their church, had accused them of seeking sexual favours.

Speaking to Mid-day, Justice Saldhana said that he had spoken to all the 37 priests, who are the complainants and can vouch for their credibility. "There has been unabated womanising by this man and evidence has been produced. There are also instances of him defaulting on church money. Each time he had a problem with a woman, there were large payoffs."

Melwyn Fernandes, secretary of Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC), who has been trying to highlight Bishop William's alleged misbehaviour since last year, told Mid Day, "There are allegations of murders of priests being camouflaged as accidents. I call upon the Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado and CBCI President Cardinal Oswald Gracias to immediately suspend the Bishop of Mysore and to get the police to institute a high-level inquiry into the murders of innocent priests, as well as the transfers."