IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN WEDNESDAY, THE 22^ND DAY OF NOVEMBER 2023 / 1ST AGRAHAYANA, 1945 WP(C) NO. 3437 OF 2023 PETITIONERS:

1 ANTONY JOSEPH AGED 58 YEARS, S/O JOSEPH, RESIDING AT KUZHUPPILLIL HOUSE, AYYAPPANAKAVU,PACHALAM PO, KOCHI, PIN - 682012

2 TOMY JOSEPH AGED 61 YEARS, S/O P.T.JOSEPH, PUTHUSSERY HOUSE, AMULYA STREET, BANERJI ROAD, KOCHI, PIN - 682018 BY ADVS.

ARUN MATHEW VADAKKAN RESPONDENTS:

1 THE STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY CHIEF SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT OF KERALA, SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695001

2 THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR ERNAKULAM, OFFICE OF DISTRICT COLLECTOR, COLLECTORATE, CIVIL STATION P.O, KAKKANAD, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT, PIN - 682030 3 THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, ERNAKULAM CITY, PARK VIEW, MARINE DRIVE, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682011

4 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, CENTRAL POLICE STATION, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT, KOCHI, PIN - 682018

5 MAJOR ARCHDIOCESE OF ERNAKULAM -ANGAMALY, MAJOR ARCHBISHOP'S HOUSE, P.B. NO. 2580, BROADWAY, ERNAKULAM- 682031 REPRESENTED BY MAR ANDREWS THAZHATHU, S/O.ANTHAPPAYI, APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR, ARCHDIOCESE OF ERNAKULAM-ANGAMALY, RESIDING AT CATHOLIC METROPOLITAN ARCH BISHOP'S HOUSE, KIZHAKKUMPATTUKARA, THRISSUR – 680005

6 SYNOD OF MAJOR ARCHIEPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ERNAKULAM ANGAMALY, REP. BY MAJOR ARCH. BISHOP CARDINAL MAR GEORGE ALENCHERY, AGED 77 YEARS, S/O PHILIPPOSE, RESIDING AT SYRO MALABAR ARCHIEPISCOPAL CURIA, MOUNT ST. THOMAS PB NO.3110, KAKKANAD P.O, KOCHI - 682030

7 FR. ANTONY NARICULAM, AGED 73 YEARS, S/O THOMAS, VICAR ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL BASILICA, CHURCH STREET, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031

8 AMT ARCHDIOCESAN MOVEMENT FOR TRANSPARENCY SOCIETY NO EKM/TC/294/2019,PAYYAPALLI 51/510, VYLOPALLI LANE, VYTILLA POST ERNAKULAM 682019 REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, RIJU DAVIS, AGED 49 YEARS, S/O K V DEVASSY, KANJUKARAN HOUSE, NADUVANOOR, CHOWARA P.O, ERNAKULAM,, PIN - 683571

9 ST.MARY'S CATHEDRAL BASILICA, CHURCH STREET, ERNAKULAM-682031, REPRESENTED BY, FR. ANTONY POOTHAVELIL, AGED 68 YEARS, S/O OUSEPH CHACKO, ADMINISTRATOR SEDE PLENA, ST.MARY'S CATHEDRAL BASILICA, CHURCH STREET, HIGH COURT JUNCTION, BROADWAY, MARINE DRIVE ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031

10 ATHIROOPATHA SAMRAKSHANA SAMITHI, REPRESENTED BY FR.SEBASTIAN THALIYAN, (AGE AND FATHER'SNAME NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER), RENEWAL CENTRE, KALOOR, KOCHI, PIN - 682018

11 ADDL.R11 ZAKARIA KATTIKARAN S/O K.M. JOSEPH, 101A, KATTIKARAN JMJ RESIDENCY, KKP ROAD, KOCHI 0682018.

12 ADDLR12 JIMMY JOSEPH S/O P.T.JOSEPH, PUTHARIKKAL HOUSE, VADUTHALA P.O, KOCHI - 682023.

13 ADDL.R13 VARGHESE ALIAS SIBICHAN S/O DEVASIA, URULICHALIL HOUSE, KANNAMPILLY ROAD, PACHALAM P.O, COCHIN - 682012

14 ADDL.R14 JOHNSON MATHEW S/O MATHEW KONIKKARA, KONIKKARA HOUSE, KKPM ROAD, KOCHI - 682018

15 ADDL.R15 MATHAI VARKEY MUTHIRENTHY AGED 74 YEARS, S/O.VARKEY, 1A, ROSE GARDEN, MARIYAKUTTY JOHN ROAD, COCHIN – 682018.

(ADDL.R11 TO R15 ARE IMPLEADED AS PER ORDER DATED

22.11.2023 IN I.A.NO.1/2023 IN W.P.(C).NO. 3437/23)

BY ADVS.

JIJO PAUL KALLOOKKARAN MANU VYASAN PETER JIMMY JOHN VELLANIKARAN S.A.ANAND S.A P.RAMAKRISHNAN RAMAKRISHNAN ADV ASOK M.CHERIAN, ADDL. ADVOCATE GENERAL()

P.B.KRISHNAN(K/1193/1994)

P.B.SUBRAMANYAN(K/1145/2009)

SABU GEORGE(K/000711/1998)

ABRAHAM BABU KALLIVAYALIL(K/1663/2020)

PREETHI RAMAKRISHNAN (P-212)(K/000726/1987)

T.C.KRISHNA(K/000802/1990)

C.ANIL KUMAR(K/000906/1993)

ASHA K.SHENOY(K/000576/1999)

PRATAP ABRAHAM VARGHESE(K/000235/2005)

GOKUL KRISHNA(K/001228/2022)

N.A.SHAFEEK(K/767/2004)

ISSAC M.PERUMPILLIL(K/000148/1974)

ANITHA MATHAI MUTHIRENTHY SHYAM PRASANTH - GP THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 22.11.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:

DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN, J.

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W.P.(C).No. 3437 of 2023 ==========================

Dated this the 22^nd day of November, 2023

JUDGMENT

The petitioners are stated to be the members of Syro Malabar Catholic Church and parishioners of the 9^th respondent – St.Mary's Cathedral Basilica. They have approached this Court with a singular plea that 1^s