After repeated interventions by police, a 17-year-old boy's body was buried at a burial ground in central Mumbai yesterday, 12 days after he breathed his last. He died on October 27 after a long battle with cancer. But, his bishop father refused to bury his body.

Bishop Octavio Nevis kept the body of his son Meshak in a refrigerated glass box for 12 days offering prayers to God in order to bring him back to life. The family claimed that Meshak had been declared dead on two occasions in the past by the doctors of the Tata Memorial cancer hospital. But, he came back to life on both occasions, they claimed.

The bishop's family believed that Meshak would come back to life if they offered prayers to God. After Meshak's death last month, his body was embalmed and kept under freezing condition to prevent it from decomposing. Bishop Nevis kept praying with his disciples and family members for 12 days.

PRAYERS AND POLICE

Meshak's body was initially kept at the family's ground floor residence at Krishna apartment in Subhash Nagar, Chinchpokli area of Mumbai. But, three days later, some neighbour tipped off the police about the superstitious ritual going on in the locality.

Police intervened and the family was forced to shift the body from the residential colony to Octavio Nevis' Jesus For All Nations (JFAN) church in Nagpada in Mumbai. The prayers continued at the JFAN for four more days. Four days later, the police again came knocking and asked the bishop's family to perform the last rites.

Meshak's family told the police that they would be taking his body to Ambernath for burial. But, at the JFAN church in Ambernath, the bishop resumed his prayers along with his disciples and family members. But, the police again visited them after five days and warned the family of serious action if they did not perform the last rites. CASE AND CLAIMS

Finally, the bishop agreed to bury his son's body. The bishop is now facing a case filed by Dr Narendra Dabholkar's Andhashradha Nirmulan Samiti (ANIS). The ANIS has petitioned that a case be filed against Octavio Nevis for promoting superstition.

"We were conducting normal prayers to bring him back to life. We pray to god and God answers. Yes, earlier, he was brought back to life twice because of our prayers. He was declared dead by Tata hospital doctors. But, we prayed and God answered. We do normal prayers that is it," countered Shadrach Nevis, Meshak's elder brother.

Meshakh's elderly grandmother Philomena is very upset with media and police. Speaking to India Today she said, "It is our faith, our religion then why do people interfere. We don't interfere with anyone else's faith or belief. We are proud of him (Octavio Nevis). He has become so famous, thanks to the media and police, the whole world knows him."

She added "?His body was not stiff at all. It was soft as ever. God kept him fresh and preserved him."

Neighbours in the building claimed that around 300 people arrived every morning in the compound after Meshakh's death. They sang and offered prayers till evening. The activity at the housing compound generated a lot of curiosity with more and more people coming to visit the site until someone tipped off the local police.