Roman Catholic priest Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, facing charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota, was on Tuesday asked by the Archbishop of Madras to return to the U.S. for further investigations.
As the Diocese of Udhagamandalam, the home Diocese of Jeypaul which oversees the priest of Indian origin, said it was probing the matter, Archbishop of Madras Rev Fr M. Chinnappa said he had spoken to the Bishop of Ootacamund on Tuesday to take action against the priest. “I have asked the Bishop of Ooty to comply with the demands of the case. Jeyapaul must return to the U.S. if necessary for further investigations. He has to oblige. There is no way out,” Chinnappa said in Chennai.
Prosecutors in Minnesota on Monday said they were trying to get 55-year-old Jeyapaul extradited. Jeyapaul has denied the sexual abuse allegations.
In a statement handed over to reporters, Bishop Fr. Amulraj of the Diocese said the matter has been referred to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.
‘Vatican cooperating'
PTI reports from Chicago:
The Vatican is cooperating with American authorities seeking to extradite Jeyapaul.
“The Holy See has cooperated with the requests of law enforcement authorities seeking the extradition of Father Jeyapaul to the United States, and in fact provided his exact location in India to assist such efforts,” a statement from Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena said.
