The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vandals attack two churches in Erode

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Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vandals attack two churches in Erode

Tamil Nadu Bureau

Statue recovered in Krishnagiri; one held for Saturday’s incident at Mettupalayam

— PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

soft TARGET: The church that was attacked at Erode on Tuesday.

COIMBATORE: In fresh attacks on Christian institutions in western Tamil Nadu, two churches were targeted at Erode early on Tuesday. Both the incidents took place under the Kavindapady police limits.

In the first one around midnight, three persons on a motorcycle threw stones at a church at Perunthalaiyur, on the Kavindapady-Koohalur Road.

A glass box encasing the Bible was damaged, said S. Paul Sundaram, pastor of the church, which is part of the Church of South India (CSI). The incident was noticed only around 5 a.m., when the sexton, Gruse, turned up for making arrangements for the morning prayer. He said enquiries with the neighbours revealed that three persons on a motorcycle were seen near the church around midnight.

In the second incident near Kavindapady on Sathy Main Road, Yesu Arputham Seikirar Thiruchabai or Jesus Miracle Church, a unit of the Pentecostal Mission, was attacked around 1 a.m.

Founder-president of the church and pastor Rev. J. Samuel blamed Hindu right wing activists. “In July and during the last Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations, Hindu Munnani activists had vowed to destroy the church,” he alleged.

Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar, who visited the churches, said it appeared to be the handiwork of trouble mongers. No arrests have been made. “Investigations are on and at this point of time, it is not clear who is behind the incident,” he said.

Reacting to the attacks, Joshua Karan Chander, vice-president, Coimbatore Diocese, told The Hindu over phone that he did not suspect any Hindu organisation’s hand in the incident.

“I do not think any Hindu organisation is behind the attack. It could be the act of a few fanatics.”

Man arrested

The Krishnagiri police have arrested Chinnappa and recovered the statue of Mother Mary he had taken away from Our Lady’s School at Melakondappalli in Krishnagiri district late on Saturday night. Chinnappa, a former watchman at the school, had allegedly pulled out one statue from its pedestal. It hit the one nearby and damaged it. He had also scribbled on the boards of a couple of classrooms, comparing Lord Ram with Jesus Christ.

Superintendent of Police Anisha Hussain told reporters at Hosur on Tuesday that a special team led by Additional Deputy Superintendent D. Mahesh Kumar and Inspector C. Murali of the Special Branch investigated the case.

It pointed to the possibility of the involvement of Chinnappa, who had even attended the peace meet conducted after the incident.

Investigations confirmed his involvement. Assistant Director of Forensic Science, Salem, P. Ravishankar and Scientific Officer A. Saravanan, analysed the handwriting on the boards and established that it was that of Chinnappa. The chalk powder on the board and his shirt matched.

About two years ago, the government had rejected Chinnapa’s case for promotion as clerk. Later, he left the school and was now working in Bangalore. The police said he had come to the village last weekend and visited the school. A grudge against the school was said to be the reason for his acts.

The Coimbatore Rural Police have arrested V. Sambasivam of Cheran Nagar II of Karamadai in Mettupalayam taluk in connection with the damage to the statue of Mother Mary at a house in that colony on Saturday night.

The police said they were trying to find out whether the damage had been caused because of enmity between Sambasivam and the owner of the house, Rajendran. They said cases had been filed against Sambasivam under Section 427 (causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Private Property Damages Act.

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