The Agra police on Friday said the person responsible for the desecration of the St. Mary’s Church on April 16 is a rickshaw-puller.
According to the police, the accused Haider Ali (22) vandalised the church after the woman he loved apparently spurned him. Ali was arrested on Friday.
Massive protest
The attack on the church had evoked protests and widespread condemnation. Ali’s arrest comes within 24 hours of a massive protest by Christians in the State capital against attacks on churches and minority institutions.
The arrest comes in the backdrop of a series of attacks on churches which was sought to be given political colour. In a recent interview to The Hindu, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said these attacks were pure law and order issues at the domestic level which had tarnished the image of India abroad.
Rajesh P. Modak, the Agra Senior Superintendent of Police, told the media that Ali is not a professional criminal and seemed to have committed the crime out of “pure frustration.”“Ali seemed to be feeling very guilty about what he did. He himself confessed that he was very sorry for his act,” Mr. Modak told the media.
Ali was presented before the media on Friday. However, the media was not allowed to speak to him. He has been booked under sections of the IPC related to hurting religious sentiments and vandalism of a religious place and sent to jail.
A police spokesman said here that Ali used to meet his woman friend every day near the St. Mary’s Church at Pratapura crossing in Agra. Every Saturday, after their outing, the woman, a domestic servant, would light a candle at the church and offer prayers.
“Ali insisted on marriage but the girl told him that the marriage was not possible as they belonged to different faiths. And then she stopped meeting him. He then got drunk and vandalised the church,” said a police official.
The priests and leaders of the Christian community, however dismissed the police version and demanded a fair probe. But priest of St Mary’s Church, Father Moon Lazarus, told The Hindu that he was convinced of the police version..
The police team which nabbed Ali was rewarded Rs.15,000 by the IG Zone of Agra and Rs. 5,000 by the Agra SSP.
(With additional reporting by Mohammad Ali)
