stationBhopal, Dec 15 (PTI) Suspected Bajrang Dal activists wereclaimed to have beaten up some Christians, including 10priests, and torched their car outside a police station inSatna district of Madhya Pradesh last night over allegedconversion of Hindus to Christianity.
Sub-inspector Mohinee Sharma of Civil Lines policestation said a case has been registered against unidentifiedpeople for burning the vehicle, but denied claim about membersof the Catholic community having been assaulted during theincident. Nobody has been arrested yet, she added.
"They (members of the Catholic group) may have beenmanhandled outside the police station premises. If they cometo us with a complaint that they were beaten up, we willsurely book the accused," the police officer said.
The group comprised ten Catholic priests and 32 othersundergoing training for priesthood.
Father M. Rony, social work director of Satna diocese,told PTI that some young men stormed the venue of a pre-Christmas function at Bhoomkar village, 15 km from thedistrict headquarters, around 9 last night and created aruckus, alleging that religious conversion was going on there.
The function was organised by Syro-Malabar Church ofNorthern India for children.
After police got information, they came to the spotand took 32 Catholic brothers (trainee priests) and twopriests to the Civil Lines police station, Fr Rony said.
"When they reached the police station, they were beatenup by Bajrang Dal activists on the station campus. Hearing thenews, four other priests rushed to the police station, butthey were also thrashed and their car was set on fire," heclaimed, adding four more priests went to the police stationand were assaulted too.
Police let off members of the Catholic group around3:30 am. They agreed to visit the police station todaymorning, Rony said.
"As promised they returned in the morning, and rightnow (around 3:30 pm) they (priests and others) are at thepolice station," he said.
Rony said the diocese was running a seminary at Barakalavillage in Satna district for the last 20 years and not asingle person there had converted to Christianity. "We arebeing persecuted," he said.
Sub-inspector Sharma said a Catholic priest and fiveothers were booked today for allegedly converting a Hindu manto Christianity using force and allurement at Bhoomkarvillage.
"We have booked (priest) M George and five otherson the complaint of Dharmendra Dohar, a local youth whoclaimed he was illegally converted on December 10," Sharmasaid.
Rony said he was not aware of who Dohar was.
Satna superintendent of police Rajesh Hingankar couldnot be reached for comments despite repeated calls. PTI LALMAS KRKSK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.