The CBI has ruled out the role of Catholicos Baselios Thomas I in the controversial Malankara Varghese murder case.
The CBI made a submission in this regard before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Monday.
The central agency filed the final report in the case stating that Fr Varghese Thekkekara and the 19 accused who were in the first chargesheet, were responsible for the murder.
The allegations raised by Saramma Varghese, wife of Malankara Varghese, and their son Telson Varghese that the church head was involved in the murder were not true, the CBI said.
The CBI Chennai unit had found that the murder was the result of a longstanding feud between the two factions in the Malankara church.
The CBI had named Fr Varghese Thekkekara, manager of the Angamaly diocese, as the prime accused in the murder. Malankara Varghese was hacked to death by a gang at Perumbavoor in December, 2002.