Nine arrested for attack on Christian prayer meet
April 20th, 2010 - 12:08 am ICT by IANSBhopal, April 19 (IANS) Nine people were arrested Monday in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district for attacking a Christian prayer meeting Saturday night, police said.
“Police Monday arrested nine people, including Rakesh, Niraj, Radhey, Sonu, Rajesh and Raju, on charges of rioting,” said Vimal Jain, a police official posted in the area.
Saturday’s incident took place around 8.30 p.m. in Saliya village where around nine masked men, allegedly belonging to rightwing groups, forced their way into the Christian prayer meeting, attacked the organisers, damaged their vehicles and fled.
Later, police found a body floating in a well, located 400 metres from the prayer venue. According to locals, the victim was attending the meeting and jumped into the well in panic when the miscreants attacked.
Several attacks on Christian meets have been witnessed in the past in tribal-dominated Balaghat district, including the one on April 15 when some miscreants, allegedly belonging to rightwing Hindu groups, stormed a function organised by a Protestant group and attended by over 5,000 people.
Father Lijo Antony, assistant parish priest of the lone Catholic church in the area, said: “Hindu groups tried to forcibly enter the venue alleging the programme was aimed at converting gullible tribal people.”
The police imposed prohibitory orders banning gathering of five or more perople in the area after the incident. The administration also gave protection to 23 Protestant pastors working in the area, the priest said.
Although the district is in Madhya Pradesh, it comes under Nagpur archdiocese in Maharashtra.
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Tags: antony, balaghat district, betul district, bhopal, catholic church, christian prayer, hindu groups, lijo, miscreants, niraj, organisers, parish priest, pastors, perople, police official, prayer meeting, protestant group, rajesh, raju, several attacks
