IDUKKI: The Santhanpara Police on Saturday arrested two persons for allegedly putting up a wooden cross atop the Pappathichola hills again and subsequently removing it, where the Revenue officials had demolished a metal cross the other day.
Those arrested were Sebastian of Rajakumari and Raju of Kalpetta, Wayanad, both members of the ‘Spirit in Jesus’, the evangelical group run by Tom Zachariah. The police also seized a pick-up van which was hidden in a bush en route to the hill.
The arrested duo were interrogated by top police officials, including district police chief K B Venugopal, Intelligence SP K V Vijayan, Special Branch DySP A D Mohandas and others.
According to the arrested duo, they had installed the cross by Friday evening and later removed it on Saturday morning. They claimed no one had influenced them.
Besides, the police brass visited the site where the cross was restored. A 10-member team led by an additional SI was stationed at the site to secure the evicted region.