Action taken on church attacks in capital: Centre to High Court

During government hearing before the court of Chief Justice G Rohini and justice R S Endlaw, Bell said that he had changed his plea and the PIL was was “not only for churches.”

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The Centre had last week told a single bench of the High Court that the government was “protecting all religious places, and the attacks are not only on churches but it was also on the temples gurudwaras and mosques etc.”

In the additional application filed before the court, Bell has alleged that it was “the duty of the government is to protect all religious places, and the government had failed its duty.

“It is the negligence of the respondents as a result of which they could not protect religious places,” says the plea, which has now sought court orders to “take drastic action against all persons who are involved in violating the fundamental rights of citizens of all religions including Christians.”

The court has issued notice to the MHA, Delhi Police and Delhi government to file their responses. Soni also informed the court that FIRs had been filed in all the cases and SITs had been constituted. The court however asked for a “proper” status report.

Home Ministry sources told The Indian Express that out of the six incidents of “attacks” on Churches in Delhi in the past year, two had been “accidents” caused by faulty wiring and children playing nearby. The Center has also set up Special Investigation Teams (SITs), monitored by an Additional DCP level officer, in three of the cases- the attacks on Vasant Vihar Holy Child church, St Alphonsus church Vasant Kunj and the St Sebastian’s Church in Dilshad garden.