Bhopal: Right-wing Hindu activists allegedly attacked Catholic carol singers, including priests, and torched their car outside a police station in Satna district on Thursday night over alleged conversion.
The police arrested director of Christian organisation M George and registered a case against him under Section 153 of the IPC and Religion Conservation Act 1968. He was produced in the court on Friday.
The police also arrested a person for arson and a case under Section 435 of the IPC was registered against him. Police had initially detained over 30 members of the Catholic choir group over alleged conversion of Hindus. However, they were later released. The Archdiocese of Bhopal has condemned the attack on Catholic choir group and seminarians saying that instead of taking action against the attackers, the police detained the priest and carol singers. Satna SP, Rajesh Hingerkar said villagers at Bhukhar had stopped a procession of Christmas carol group alleging that they lured and converted a person to Christianity. It has been claimed that a person was given money to convert to Christianity on December 11.
Father M. Rony, social work director of Satna, however, claimed that the diocese was running a seminary at Barakala village in Satna for the last 20 years and not a single person had converted to Christianity.
Father Rene Verghese said “A group of students training to become priests was moving around Satna town, visiting Christian institutions and singing carols. Some 15-km from here in Dara Kalan village church they were getting ready for Christmas celebrations, when a group of people attacked them,
accusing them of Verghese said the Hindu group raised slogans and called the Civil Lines police station. All 32 carol singers, accompanied by two priests, were taken to the police station. Eight priests who later went to the police station to inquire into the matter were also taken into custody, he said. The mob attacked Christian students inside the police station and set a priest’s car, parked outside the police station, on fire.
Verghese denied any attempt at religious conversion. He said singing carols is a common practice around the Christmas. “We were just doing that and preparing for the Christmas celebrations.” Police let off members of the Catholic group around 3:30 am.
However, City Superintendent of police DD Pande said that one Dharmendra Dohad has registered a complaint that he was paid Rs 5,000 to convert to Christianity .
He was given a holy dip in a pond and his name was changed to Dharmendra Thomas, the complainant had said. They also asked him to pray to Lord Christ, CSP said. A case was registered against a person and five unknown persons in the conversion case, Pande said. They are also investigating vandalism by the mob.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Leo Cornelio has condemned the incident. He alleged that a group of 30 seminarians and two priests from St. Ephrem’s Theological College in Satna were detained while they were conducting a routine Christmas carol programme.
He alleged that eight priests who later went to the police station to inquire about the arrests were also detained. Expressing shock over the incident, Joseph Kodakallil, the bishop of Satna said that Christian communities in Madhya Pradesh are deeply shocked and saddened by the developments and have urged the government to take immediate measures to check incidents of violence against the minorities.
