Church property damaged in Raipur

     Raipur, March 06, 2016: Chhattisgarh Police today arrested three persons as property of a church was damaged by some unidentified men after causing injury to worshippers.

     “When the Sunday prayer was going on, some people entered the church and raised slogans creating a terror atmosphere,” said Shiv Kumar, who claimed to have witnessed the incident.

     “About 40-50 people, who had covered their faces with cloth, attacked the gathering and damaged the chair and musical instruments among others,” said Shiv Kumar.

     “In that attack some of the women and children present in the church got injuries,” said Bhala Ram.

     The incident took place in a slum area of Kachna village, outskirt of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

     “The church was started in this place about a year back and the people, who had covered their faces, raised slogans against us and demanded closure of the church in this area,” said Rahul Kumar of the same locality.

     “We have already arrested three people in that connection,” said Raipur District Superintendent of Police Badri Narayan Meena.

     On getting information of the incident, police party immediately swung into action and “the arrest figure will be increased,” said the police officer.

     “A police case has been registered against the miscreants for home trespass after preparing for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint (Section 452 of Indian Penal Code), rioting (Sec 147 of IPC), damaging or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any other class (Sec 295 of IPC), and voluntarily causing hurt (Sec 323 of IPC),” said Meena.

     Accusing the Christian community of involved in conversion, they were attacked by saffron brigade in many parts of central India, including in Raipur in the previous occasions.