Jabalpur Police Registers FIR Four Days After Alleged Attack On Catholic Priests; VISUALS Surface

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Jabalpur police have registered a case four days after two Catholic priests were attacked by right-wing activists in the city. However, no arrests have been made so far.

According to information, Vicar General of Jabalpur Catholic Diocese Father Davis George and Jabalpur Diocesan Corporation Secretary, Father George Thomas, were assaulted on March 31 at Ranjhi police station premises.

Davis George is a former principal of St Aloysius College here.

The incident sparked protests in Parliament, with Congress MPs staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha on Thursday after the Speaker denied a discussion on the issue.

“We have registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. The individuals in the video have been identified. I will need to check under which sections the case has been registered,” confirmed City Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar Sahu. 

What was the matter?

According to Atul Joseph, district coordinator of the Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh (RIM), around 50 people, including women and children from the tribal-dominated Mandla district, were visiting churches in Jabalpur for Lent when right-wing activists allegedly intercepted their bus and took it to Ranjhi police station, accusing them of religious conversions.

"When Fathers Davis and Thomas, along with St. Peters and Paul Cathedral Secretary Felix Barla, arrived at the police station to assist the detained group, they were pushed and slapped. A video shows a woman striking a priest. Eventually, the police dismissed the mob and released the detained pilgrims and priests," said Joseph. 

Following the incident, more than 500 members of the Christian community staged a protest in Jabalpur on Thursday, demanding action against the accused.