Hindu outfits vandalise church in Dwarka — 2 FIRs, 1 arrested

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a newly opened church in the Matiala area of Dwarka district was vandalised just as they were beginning their first Sunday service by miscreants allegedly from right-wing Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal, according to the complaint filed in the case, the police here said.

Reportedly, the miscreants from Bajrang Dal destroyed the property of the church including its newly installed sign board. But the Delhi Police registered a case against the men who vandalised the church premises but just under section 268 of the IPC (Causing public nuisance).

And on the other hand, the Delhi Police have also decided to register a case against the missionaries who were organising the prayer service in the Dwarka premises. This case was registered under Section 188 of IPC for failing to follow DDMA guidelines on Covid prevention.

Significantly, the Delhi Disaster Management has already allowed religious places to reopen for devotees. When asked why then the case was registered against the church members, senior officials said they were holding prayers at a place that had not been designated as a religious premises and without permission from the authorities.

DCP (Dwarka) Shankar Chaudhary said that they have arrested one of the miscreants involved in the vandalism of the church. Significantly, both the FIRs are under bailable offences.

Sources told the Millennium Post that a group of missionaries took a godown on rent from a person, named Mukesh Kumar. "Mukesh had given the space on rent to his known Anuj and his brother, who follow Christianity. Later they started to set up a church and also hung a board outside the gate," sources said.

Officers aware of how the incident unfolded said that once around 80-100 people had gathered at the church for their prayer, miscreants from Bajrang Dal and other right-wing Hindu outfits started creating problems and indulged in vandalism.

Following this, the police were called and the miscreants had fled. The police have said that the investigation is in progress and with the help of CCTV footage, they are trying their best to nab the miscreants, a senior police official said.

(Image credit Nikita Jain/Twitter)