Miscreants ransack church in Pusad

The miscreants entered the church through the door on the terrace and broke the wash-basin, windowpanes, lavatory fittings, water pump and drainage pipes. They also stoned the church from outside, as evident from the stones were found inside the church, police said.

Police said the extent of the damage to the church could not be ascertained as the panic-stricken priest left the town without lodging a complaint with the police.

The church, located at Govindnagar locality of the town, was inaugurated in December last by retired Rev Edwin Colaco, the Bishop of Amravati Diocese. Pusad is the bastion of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik, who is now the NCP MLA from the town.

It may be recalled that on April 3, 1999, some miscreants had damaged an English medium high school run by the Catholic Church nuns and had destroyed the cross atop the school building in Yavatmal. They were still at large.

The extent of damage to the church remains to be ascertained yet, but reports say the panic-stricken priest fled town soon after, without reporting the incident to the police.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Father Chacko said seven families reside in the institution and all are out for vacation. The Father had not lodged a complaint till reports last came in.

Meanwhile, reports emanating from village Patta Pangra in Pandharkawada tehsil said volunteers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad have held out a threat to the missionaries and cautioned them against visiting the place.

The Christian cemetery here has also become a matter of controversy as a few persons have allegedly encroached it. So far, the district administration has not acted on a complaint.

A pall of fear hangs over the place with Christians expressing concern over the recent attacks and seeking remedial action against such attacks. Incidentally, a missionary had been kidnapped at village Sibla in this district recently and had it not been for the timely intervention of the police, the incident would have snowballed into a major row.