Attack on Kolhapur Christian prayer meet: Six ‘right-wing’ suspects detained

The Kolhapur police have detained six persons, suspected to be members of a right- wing outfit operating from Belgavi in Karnataka, in connection with the attack on 12 persons during a Sunday Christian prayer meet at a residence at Kowad village in Kolhapur district on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.

Senior officials, who asked not to be identified, said the suspects are likely to be arrested after their interrogation is over.

“Chandgad police detained the suspects after their identities were ascertained,” Kolhapur SP Abhinav Deshmukh said, refusing to reveal the names of suspects or the organisation they are linked to.

“We have found that the detained suspects wanted to disrupt the religious gathering and desecrate the place, with communal intentions. We have detained them and all of them will be arrested later during the night ,” said Deshmukh.

The police had earlier registered a case against unidentified attackers under IPC Section 147 (punishment for rioting), Section 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), Section 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult the religion of any class), Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or A 

A 40-member Christian religious gathering was attacked by a dozen masked attackers with broken beer bottles, iron rods, swords and choppers. The attackers came riding on motorcycles and barged into the prayer meet. After being repelled from entering the premises, the attackers resorted to pelting those present with stones and the broken beer bottles. Twelve persons, including children , women and elders were injured during the attack. The names of the injured have also been withheld by the police