Hyderabad: A village mob ransacked a church under the Keesaragutta police station limits on Sunday morning. Police said the attack was the outcome of a land dispute. Police said the owner of the land, Mr George Reddy, had taken permission from the authorities to build a mini-function hall but had later started to construct a church, which irked the nearby villagers.
About 100 men stormed into the church and broke the interiors, smashed statues and wrecked the place.
The people of Godumakunta were against the idea of a church in the vicinity and had shown their opposition. The Lady of Fatima Church was inaugurated on May 13, catching the villagers by surprise.
“On Sunday morning, the people of the village held a meeting with their sarpanch and went to the church and ransacked it,” said Keesaragutta sub-inspector M. Anantha Chary.
“The permission for building a church on that land is pending,” he said. A case was booked against the mob under IPC Sections 448 (punishment for house trespass), 427 (causing damage), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 149 and 10 persons were taken into custody.
Mr Roydin Roach, national coordinator of the All India Catholic Union, which represents about 21 million Catholics in India, said: “On Sunday, at about 9.30 am, about 100 men stormed into the church and broke the interiors, smashed statues and wrecked the place. I have approached DGP Anurag Sharma regarding this issue.”
