Pastor assaulted, 7 held

A clash between residents and a Christian pastor over opening a prayer house in an apartment took an ugly turn on Monday, with angry residents mercilessly beating up the pastor and damaging his property worth Rs 3 lakh.

A clash between residents and a Christian pastor over opening a prayer house in an apartment took an ugly turn on Monday, with angry residents mercilessly beating up the pastor and damaging his property worth Rs 3 lakh. The residents of Rani Maa Apartment at Sector 17, Ulhasnagar, which has a predominant Hindu population, took strong exceptions to Rajesh Gurnimal Basantani’s idea of opening a prayer house for Christians in the building, and that too without any prior permission from the authorities.

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Police inspector Sanjay Surve, said, “Basantani, 47, had purchased a flat in the basement of the apartment, and wanted to start a prayer house. Hindus living in the building vehemently opposed this idea. When Basantani refused to co-operate, angry residents attacked him while he was offering prayer.” “Basantani was seriously injured and his furniture and motorcycle in this assault,” Surve added.