This story is from October 4, 2021

Uttarakhand: Mob vandalises church in Roorkee; 5 hurt

An unruly mob, believed to comprise of right-wing activists, went on a rampage and vandalised a Roorkee-based church, attacking five persons during a Sunday prayer meeting.
Uttarakhand: At least 5 injured as mob vandalised a church in Roorkee
ROORKEE: An unruly mob, believed to comprise of right-wing activists, went on a rampage and vandalised a Roorkee-based church, attacking five persons during a Sunday prayer meeting.
Two women, who had sustained injuries in the attack, and one other had to be rushed to Dehradun and are said to be in a critical condition.
The attackers alleged that they suspected some religious conversion-related activities were going on in the area.

After the incident, police personnel were deployed outside the church. A case has been registered against at least six identified persons and 200 others who were yet to be identified.
Sources told TOI that the mob entered the church situated at the Solanipuram locality at 10 am and started abusing and thrashing people who were inside. Some of them were carrying wooden bars with them.
"The prayer was about to begin. Around 10 people were present when the crowd, many of whom we recognised as members of Bajrang Dal and other right-wing groups stormed the church and started beating us and damaging the church property. We know most of the attackers as they keep threatening us to shut down the church. We demand strict action against them. We also want police protection to be provided to us,” said Priyo Sadhna Porter, pastor of the church.

Police, on the complaint of Porter, have registered a case under sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 296 (disturbing religious assembly), 352 (vandalism), 395 (dacoity) and others of Indian Penal Code against a few officials of the BJP and VHP as well as 200 unidentified people. However, no arrest has been made so far, CO (Roorkee) Vivek Kumar said.
Meanwhile, when queried about the incident, Adesh Saini, general secretary of district unit of the BJP, said, “We condemn the incident but it is also true that residents of the locality have been cautioning against religious conversions. Let the police investigate the case and the truth will come out.”
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