Police register cases after Orthodox, Jacobite factions clash over church ownership in Kerala
Police in Kerala have registered cases against members of the Malankara Orthodox and Jacobite Syrian factions following a violent clash over the ownership of St John’s Bethlehem Church. Both groups claim legal rights to the property, leading to ongoing tensions and police intervention.
Why it matters
The long-standing property dispute between these two Christian factions frequently leads to civil unrest and requires judicial and administrative intervention in Kerala.
The police have registered two cases against priests and believers of the Syrian Jacobite and Malankara Orthodox factions after they clashed over the ownership of a church at Piramadom near Kochi , Kerala, officials said on Monday (August 10, 2026).
The Ramamangalam police registered separate cases against 10 persons, including priests, of the Jacobite faction, and 12 priests and believers of the Orthodox faction on Sunday night.
Police officials said both cases were registered following complaints from the two factions and non-bailable offences have been charged.
Officials said the investigation is underway and police personnel have been deployed at St John’s Bethlehem Church at Piramadom to prevent any further violence.
The church has been at the centre of a dispute over its ownership between the Malankara Orthodox and Jacobite Syrian factions. Currently, the church is under the control of the Jacobite faction, the police said.
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