Two more church crosses desecrated in Goa, police inquiry on
Two church crosses were vandalised in early July, following which chief minister Manohar Parrikar ordered an investigation.
Two more holy crosses were found allegedly desecrated in South Goa’s Loutolim village on Thursday, about 10 days after two crosses were desecrated in St. Jose de Areal and Gudi Paroda villages.
Locals in Loutolim, located around 40 kms from Panaji, discovered the vandalism, police said.
Inspector Harish Madkaikar of Maina-Curtorim police station said the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning.
A bread seller who passed by the spot around 4 am claimed everything was normal at the time, Madkaikar said, adding the two crosses were located at a distance of around 3 kms from each other. An inquiry is on.
Goa has witnessed a spate of attacks on religious symbols since early this month.
At least 11 holy crosses and a temple have been vandalised by unidentified persons in South Goa district since July 1.
Several gravestones were also allegedly damaged by unidentified persons at Curchorem town in South Goa on Sunday night.
The state Congress earlier demanded that the investigation into the incidents be handed over to CBI.
However, Vijai Sardesai, the leader of Goa Forward Party, which is one of the alliance partners in the BJP-led state government, had said that the local police was capable of investigating the cases.
In view of the incidents of defiling the religious symbols, chief minister Manohar Parrikar had last week held a high a high-level meeting with police officials.
Parrikar asked all police stations in the state to form special investigation teams to nab the accused at the earliest.
The Goa Church expressed “deep pain” over the incidents, saying it appeared the desecrations were being carried out to provoke communal discord in the state.