A crucifix at Bhavani Shankar Road, Dadar, was vandalised on Saturday night by unknown miscreants.
Local residents immediately informed the police, who visited the site. A complaint has been filed at the Dadar police station against the culprits. However, the police said they have not registered an FIR.
Alfred Nogueira, a trustee of Our Lady of Salvation Church, Dadar, also known as the Portuguese Church, said there were similar incidents of vandalism in the past. "However, we have always received cooperation from the local police. We need to check if any CCTV cameras have captured images of the culprits," said Nigueira.
Community groups have raised concerns about the vandalism. Watchdog Foundation, said the incident has caused distress among the community. "Immediate action will help restore faith in law enforcement and communal harmony. We request your esteemed office to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and take necessary steps at the earliest," said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation which has written to the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, Rajendra Avhad, senior police inspector of Dadar police station said that residents have submitted a complaint. “Investigation is on. The cross is on the footpath and is not owned by any church. We have asked the municipal corporation to give the residents permission to rebuild the cross,” said Avhad.
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Residents said that they have been demanding the protection of religious symbols and places of worship to prevent such occurrences in the future. Avhad said that there are CCTV cameras in the area but the spot where the crucifix is located is not covered by the cameras. “There are several crosses in the area. We will try to get them covered in metal grills so that there is no vandalism,” Avhad added.
