Senior couple in Vitla allegedly assaulted by church priest: Mangalore Diocese suspends priest
Mangaluru: Expressing concern over a recent incident of a priest in Bantwal taluk allegedly assaulting a senior couple, the Diocese of Mangalore has stated in a press release that the priest would be removed from the religious ministry of the church immediately.
The CCTV footage of Fr. Nelson Olivera, Parish priest of the Christ The King Church at Periyalthadka village of Manila near Vitla, Bantwal taluk, has gone viral on social media. The video clip shows the priest, who had reportedly visited the household for blessings on Thursday, arguing with the senior couple, Gregory and Philomena, and also assaulting them. The senior couple and the priest are learned to have developed a difference of opinion on the occasion and, as the couple reportedly told the priest not to visit them again, the matter aggravated into an argument and a physical assault of the couple by the priest.
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While no case has been registered on the matter yet, the Diocese of Mangalore has said in its press release that, in immediate response to the incident, Fr. Olivera would be removed from the religious ministry at the Christ The King Church.
Fr. JB Saldanha and Ronald Castelino, who are the Diocese public relation officers, have said in the press release that the Diocese would fully cooperate with the law enforcing authorities. They added that, apart from the government enquiry, the Diocese itself would undertake canonical enquiries on the incident to establish the truth to take adequate future action in a just and fair manner.
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Two people killed as poultry vehicle rams into parked truck in Belagavi
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
