The Uttarkashi police have filed cross FIRs after two communities clashed with each other during Christmas celebrations on Saturday over allegations of forced conversions, a senior police official said.
According to police, Pastor Lazarus Cornelius of Union Church, Mussoorie, along with his wife Sushma Cornelius had reached Chibala village under Purola block on Friday morning and was leading the Christmas prayers when a mob of over 30 people turned up there, alleging that forced conversions were being carried out there.
“The organisers had invited the local Christians having Nepali roots and other villagers and the event in the afternoon was underway when a group of 35-40 people reached there and stopped them. The two parties first entered into an argument and then attacked each other, injuring people from both sides,” said Purola police station in-charge KS Rawat.
“Upon receiving information, we reached there and stopped the two parties engaged in conflict,” he said.
The police official said, “On the complaint of both parties, we have filed FIRs and the investigation into the matter is underway.”
On the complaint of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’ (VHP) Purola working president Virendra Singh Rawat, the police filed FIR against one Jagdish (in whose house the Christian event was underway) under Section 3 of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018, and Sections 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (Insult intended to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Purola police station.
The complainant alleged, “Some people from the Christian community were involved in conversions by luring people at the house of Jagdish. To stop them, locals and Hindu organisations reached there and tried to gather information but they started hurling abuses at us. They attacked us subsequently with sticks injuring two people from our sides.”
{{/usCountry}}The complainant alleged, “Some people from the Christian community were involved in conversions by luring people at the house of Jagdish. To stop them, locals and Hindu organisations reached there and tried to gather information but they started hurling abuses at us. They attacked us subsequently with sticks injuring two people from our sides.”
{{/usCountry}}Purola police station in-charge KS Rawat said they have also filed FIR against five-six identified and other unidentified people on the complaint of Pastor Lazarus Cornelius of Union Church for causing hurt to at least five people.
“We have booked them under Sections 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (Insult intended to provoke breach of the peace), 427 (mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or more) and 506 (criminal intimidation),” he said.
He said the medical examination of the injured people from the Christian community was carried out at their request, but nobody from the other party came to us for their medical examination.
“These allegations are false that any party was armed with sticks. Nothing like that came to our knowledge during the inquiry,” he added.
Superintendent of police (SP), Uttarkashi, Arpan Yaduvanshi wasn’t available for his remarks despite repeated attempts.