The State government has handed over the investigation into the death of Mahesh D’Souza, the Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health Church, Shirva, in Udupi district, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Home Department recently passed the order handing over the probe to the CID following persistent demand from hundreds of parishioners. D’Souza was found dead in the office of Don Bosco School, of which he was the principal, around 9 p.m. on October 11, 2019.
Udupi Additional Superintendent of Police Kumarachandra confirmed having received the order. He said the probe was yet to be handed over as officials from the CID were yet to arrive.
D’Souza, 36, was appointed at the church in 2016 and also made principal. From Moodubelle in Udupi district, he was ordained in 2013.
While the Udupi police said there was no foul play in the death of the priest, parishioners claimed that D’Souza was forced to take the extreme step by some vested interests. They held several protests demanding a CBI probe into the death.
