Father Rajat Ekka (61), the parish priest of Chainpur from the diocese of Gumla, was found dead inside the well in Jharkhand, India, on October 27, 2023.
Father Cyprian Kullu, the public relations officer of the diocese, told Matters India, “Very unfortunate.”
Father Kullu said, "Father Ekka was a dynamic priest in his early 60s who had served as dean of our deaneries in the diocese."
According to a diocesan official, Father Ekka is not suspected of homicide.
A month ago, cash was stolen from the parish office, causing the priest some stress.
“Some people criticized the priest for being careless since the looters took away close to one lakh Indian rupees [US$1,201].
But Ekka, though appearing a bit depressed, continued to work normally, and "Nobody could have imagined he was under serious stress,” Kullu added.
It has been reported that Father Ekka has been missing since October 26th, according to Father Kullu, citing parish sources.
“He used to ring the church bell in the morning, and when the priest didn't come to breakfast, the cook went looking for him and found his body in the well,” the PRO said.
The funeral was held on October 28 after a mandatory postmortem examination was conducted and authorities handed over the body.
Father Ekka was born on January 27, 1962, in Rengnitoli, Jari block, and ordained as a priest on April 24, 1993.
He was appointed dean and parish priest of Chainpur parish in 2019.
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