Indian priest sentenced to hard labor in disputed sodomy case

Published: 2004-12-15

DUMKA, India (CNS) -- An Indian priest who was paraded naked through the streets in 1997 after being charged with sodomizing a young boy was sentenced to three years' hard labor for the crime. Father Swamidas Christudas was given a month to appeal the Dec. 13 conviction in a Dumka lower court in the northeastern tribal Jharkhand state. "We are shocked by the court order. It is a totally biased, unfair, prejudiced and one-sided judgment," Bishop Julius Marandi of Dumka told SAR News, an Indian-based church news agency. "We were expecting justice and a favorable court order as our lawyer argued out our case well. We will now appeal to the Dumka district court for justice, and we hope to get a favorable verdict there," Bishop Marandi said. Father Christudas, 48, said he was "totally shattered" by the verdict and would appeal. He was released on bail.

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