Kochi: Kerala High Court stayed its earlier order to book Kerala Catholic church head Mar George Allencherry and four others in an alleged land scam.

A division bench of the court stayed the order of the single bench after the Cardinal challenged the order. The earlier order of the single bench had directed police to register FIR against Allencherry, two priests Fr Joshi Puthuva, Fr Sebastian Vadakkumbadam, and real estate broker Saju Varghese.

The new directive of the court asked the police not to proceed with any action in this regard. Cases were registered under IPC 420 for cheating, IPC 402 breach of trust, 406, and 120 B for conspiracy after an individual filed a petition disputing the sale deal.

Cardinal Allencherry is also the Archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The Syro Malabar Church has over 30 dioceses in the country and four in the US, Canada, Australia and Britain.