AHMEDABAD: A man was arrested for allegedly entering a Pentecostal Mission church in Savarkundla town of Gujarat's Amreli district with a sword and a can of flammable liquid and setting fire to materials inside the premises, police said.
The accused identified as Uday Khuman, allegedly entered the church carrying a sword and a plastic can containing a flammable substance and poured the liquid on furniture, curtains and other articles inside the church hall before setting them on fire. The flames damaged a curtain, sofa set, table and other property inside the premises.
Upon information, police rushed to the spot after receiving information and brought the fire under control, preventing further damage.
The church lodged a complaint alleging property damage of around Rs 50,000. Church Mother Lydia Sheeda Messiah Rani alleged that the accused had deliberately targeted the place of worship.
Police arrested Khuman and sent him to jail after initiating legal proceedings.
The motive behind the attack is under investigation. Local sources claimed the incident was linked to an alleged dispute over religious conversion, but police said they were examining all aspects of the case.
Amreli Deputy Superintendent of Police Chirag Desai said, “The accused, Uday, entered the church in Savarkundla town carrying a sword and flammable material. He poured the flammable substance on the church curtain and other articles and set them on fire. The accused has been arrested and legal action has been initiated in the matter.”
"Police are investigating the circumstances in which the accused entered the church, the extent of the property damage and whether the alleged conversion dispute was the trigger for the incident," he added