Lucknow Diocese official beaten up

AROUND A dozen armed men picked up a senior official of the Lucknow Diocese RB Ray, beat him up and abandoned him at an isolated place in Jajmau. The incident took place at NTC tri-section here on Sunday. Ray, who is the district superintendent of Church, suspected the hands of his predecessor JJ Oliver behind the incident. He lodged a complaint to the police.

AROUND A dozen armed men picked up a senior official of the Lucknow Diocese RB Ray, beat him up and abandoned him at an isolated place in Jajmau.
The incident took place at NTC tri-section here on Sunday. Ray, who is the district superintendent of Church, suspected the hands of his predecessor JJ Oliver behind the incident. He lodged a complaint to the police.

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Ray was here to attend a conference related to annual elections at Armapore Church. He was staying at the guest house of the Hudson Memorial Girls’ High School in Civil Lines.

In the morning he left with the priests of Kidwai Nagar and Arampore Churches, HS Marine and R Billy in a vehicle. Just as their vehicle covered a distance of 100 metres, two Maruti vans overtook them. Nearly 10-12 armed persons jumped out of the vehicles and dragged Ray in one of vans. While he was beaten up, Billy and Marine were threatened with dire consequences.

On receiving the news, a group of people gheraoed the Colonelgunj police station. Marine said Ray was under threat ever since the Bishop of Lucknow Diocese, SR Thomas replaced him with Oliver. The Bishop had received several complaints of corruption against Oliver and acted on them. Ray was involved in the election process that Oliver wanted to stall as it could have proved detrimental to his interest, said Marine.

On reaching Lucknow, he met the Bishop who brought him back to Kanpur. Accompanied by the Bishop, Ray told police that at first he was taken to Tatmill crossing and beaten up. SP (west) Awdhesh Yadav said the case was being investigated.