Hyderabad: A pastor belonging to a Dalit community and his family members were attacked by ABVP activists in Karimnagar district. This was after the pastor objected to activists abusing them and damaging a flex board fixed on the church wall. Police registered a case against five persons and arrested three while the rest were absconding.
Meanwhile, the arrested also lodged a complaint that the pastor’s family had abused them and tried to damage images of deities on their vehicles. A GD entry of the complaint was made and forwarded to the court for further directions, said investigating officials.
The victims were identified as pastor K. Moses and his family members K. Narsamma, K. Prabhaker, K. Emmanuel and K. Maria.
On Monday night, when the victims were inside the church, the suspects, who were in an inebriated condition, came to drink water from a hand pump near the church. They later damaged the flex board on the church gate and started passing abusive comments against the pastor and members of the church. They even abused the pastor over his caste.
When Moses came out and objected to their vulgar comments and rude behaviour, they assaulted him. His family members, who tried to intervene, were also beaten up. Police rushed to the spot immediately and detained three suspects and booked a case against them at Ramadugu police station.
Investigating officials said the injured were in stable condition. A hunt was on to nab the two absconding suspects. A day later, more than 100 members belonging to ABVP came to the police station and lodged a complaint against the Pastor and his family, stating he had abused their religion and also damaged the stickers of their idols on their vehicles. The case was also under investigation.
