Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
India

West Delhi Church Vandalized, Incident Captured On CCTV

IANS, 14 Jan, 2015 12:51 PM
    A church here was vandalized before dawn Wednesday, the fourth such incident in the capital in seven weeks, police said.
     
    The incident, which took place around 4.20 a.m., was captured by a CCTV camera installed inside the premises of Our Lady Of Graces Church at Vikaspuri in west Delhi.
     
    "The CCTV footage shows that two people came on a scooter. One entered the church's premises and smashed a glass window. He also threw the statue of Mother Mary on the floor," Father Balraj of the church told IANS.
     
    The police received a call from the church around 7.30 a.m.
     
    Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Monika Bhardwaj told IANS that a case had been filed against two unidentified men for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings.
     
    Bhardwaj said the police have a clear picture of one of the culprits who toppled the statue of Mother Mary and smashed the glass window. "He might be in his late 30s."
     
    Father Savarimuthu Sankar, spokesperson of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, told IANS: "We see a clear pattern in these attacks."
     
    He said the attacks on churches occurring at regular intervals had unnerved Christians in Delhi.
     
    He said the attacks took place most on the city's outskirts and at four different directions within 44 days.
     
    "We cannot say if these incidents are related to the (coming Delhi) elections or the handiwork of some fundamentalists. But it is a matter of concern and police should take proper action," he added.
     
    Three churches were attacked earlier in separate incidents.
     
    Earlier this month, a minor fire was reported from a church in Rohini in west Delhi. The Christmas crib outside was charred.
     
    Last month, some unidentified people threw stones at Our Lady of Fatima Forane Church at Jasola in south Delhi and broke window panes during the evening Mass.
     
    St Sebastian's Church, a Catholic church at Dilshad Garden in east Delhi, was burnt down in December. Police confirmed it was a case of arson.
     
    According to the 2011 Census report, Christians number around 130,000 in Delhi, which is home to about 17 million. The Christian population in India is 24 million -- of the total 1.2 billion.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Britain faces mass strike by public sector workers

    Britain faces mass strike by public sector workers
    Britain is witnessing one of the biggest strikes by public sector employees in three years with up to one million people expected to take to the streets to protest pay freeze and pension changes as part of austerity measures, media reports said Thursday.

    Britain faces mass strike by public sector workers

    Ganga conservation in Jaitley's list of priorities

    Ganga conservation in Jaitley's list of priorities
    Cleaning Ganga, linking of rivers and beautification of river banks were on top of the agenda of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who set aside Rs.2,037 crore for an integrated Ganga development project in the union budget 2014-2015.

    Ganga conservation in Jaitley's list of priorities

    Modi regime's first budget gives tax sops, promises growth

    Modi regime's first budget gives tax sops, promises growth
    Tax payers could save on their salaries and consumer goods like TVs, soap, footwear, processed food and computers will cost less as the Rs.18-lakh crore ($300-billion) maiden budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government promised to arrest price rise, boost investor mood, cut expenditure and restore India's growth to 7-8 percent in three years.

    Modi regime's first budget gives tax sops, promises growth

    NRI questions FIR over uploading minister's morphed photo

    NRI questions FIR over uploading minister's morphed photo
    US-based Goan NRI Savio Almeida Wednesday questioned the move to book him for sharing on Facebook a morphed photo of Goa PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar wearing a pink swimsuit.

    NRI questions FIR over uploading minister's morphed photo

    India earned 40 mn euro launching foreign satellites

    India earned 40 mn euro launching foreign satellites
    He said the revenue earned through launch of foreign satellites was 39.82 million euros.

    India earned 40 mn euro launching foreign satellites

    Modi loyalist Amit Shah is BJP's new chief

    Modi loyalist Amit Shah is BJP's new chief
    After weeks of speculation, Amit Shah, a Narendra Modi loyalist who scripted the BJP's spectacular electoral win in Uttar Pradesh, was Wednesday named its new president, with party leaders voicing confidence that he will take the ruling party to greater success.

    Modi loyalist Amit Shah is BJP's new chief