The death of the priest Martin Xavier Vazhachira in Scotland has shocked the diaspora, more as the cause remains unknown, nearly 2 weeks after his body was found on a beach in East Lothian. The officials have confirmed that the authorities are giving 'full priority' to investigating the case. His body will most likely be sent to his home in Kerala later this week. A post-mortem on the body has been completed, and some samples have been sent to the Criminal Investigation Department of Police Scotland.
Vazhachira, 33, was found dead on June 23 in West Barns, near Dunbar. He was appointed as a priest of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate in Kerala in 2013, and reached in Scotland in July 2016 for postgraduate studies in the University of Edinburgh. He served in Catholic parishes in Falkirk and several others places in Scotland. Local reports said an alarm was raised after Vazhachira failed to show up to celebrate Mass with the parish community of St John the Baptist, Corstorphine, where he was the administrator.
Several priests from Kerala, Nagaland, Mizoram and other states have moved to Britain in recent years to serve in different parishes.
Anju Ranjan, the consul general of India in Edinburgh said that the Scottish authorities will inform the mission about when the body could be taken to India, though the cause of death remains still unknown. All formalities needed to be completed for a thorough investigation before the body could be released, officials said.
The mission has been in touch with Vazhachira’s family and the Syro-Malabar community here and elsewhere are following the case very closely.
