Attack on Church: U’khand DGP assures strict action; police yet to make any arrest

PTI, Oct 5, 2021, 7:54 AM IST

Pic: Twitter Screenshot/Saral Patel

Dehradun: Strict action will be taken against those who vandalized a church in Haridwar’s Roorkee, said Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar on Monday, a day after the incident for which police are yet to make an arrest.

Meanwhile, the state government authorized DMs of all 13 districts to use the stringent National Security Act for the next three months, citing incidents of violence in some districts.

Sources said police teams are raiding different places in the search of the accused but so far no success has been achieved.

A police officer said an FIR has been registered in the case against 150-200 people, eight of whom have been named in the complaint.

A mob had vandalized the church, alleging that religious conversions were being carried out there.

Ashok Kumar said incidents of assault and vandalism are “not acceptable” under any circumstances.

We have instructed officials to take strict action against those involved in the act, he said.

Kumar said adequate police personnel has been deployed in the church and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government issued a notification empowering DMs of all 13 districts to use the National Security Act for three months till December 31 in view of the possibility of incidents of violence in the state.

According to the notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, incidents of violence have occurred in some districts of Uttarakhand in the past and the decision has been taken keeping in view the possibility of such incidents in other parts of the state in the future.