A court in Kerala has sentenced a former sacristan to life for killing the rector of a famous Christian pilgrim centre in the southern Indian State.

“The sacristan is sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life for the offence punishable under section 302 of IPC and has to pay a fine of (100, 000 rupees),” Ernakulam Principal Sessions and District Judge Kauser Edappagath said in the May 4 order. If the sacristan fails to pay the fine amount, he has to suffer simple imprisonment for one year, the court added. Johnny Vattaparampil, the sacristan of St Thomas Mount at Malayattoor in Ernakulam district, was convicted for stabbing to death Father Xavier Thelakkat, the shrine’s rector, on March 1, 2018.