Close X
Friday, November 15, 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

    Steer Indian education out of mediocrity, urges President

    Steer Indian education out of mediocrity, urges President
    Observing that research in the higher education structure was a neglected domain, President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday called for transformative ideas to steer India's educational institutions from the "muddy waters of mediocrity".

    Steer Indian education out of mediocrity, urges President

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP
    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Maharashtra suffered a post-poll setback when two senior leaders - state convenor Anjali Damania and state secretary Preeti Sharma-Menon - quit the party Thursday.

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban
    Nearly a decade after it denied him a visa and blacklisted him, the US is practically preparing to roll out the red carpet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is set to hold a summit meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington in September-end this year.

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region
    Around 1,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, are returning home from the restive region of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine after the Indian mission arranged to bring them safely to capital Kiev and the onward journey to India.

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries
    Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will hold additional charge as minister of rural development, panchayti raj, and drinking water and sanitation, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement Wednesday said.

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets
    Sahara group chief Subrata Roy will remain in jail even as the Supreme Court Wednesday lifted the freeze on the group's moveable and immovable assets so it could raise Rs.10,000 crore for part repayment of investors money collected by two group companies.

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets