Delhi: Five attacks on churches in two months but only one case solved

The capital has witnessed five attacks on churches in the last two months but despite the home ministry’s intervention, little has been done to prevent or solve the cases.

The ministry has stepped in and twice asked Delhi Police for a report on the attacks. Only one case, in which the attackers were caught on tape, has been solved.

In December last year, the police provided security to all 225 churches in Delhi. The move came after a mysterious fire gutted a church in Dilshad Garden and another incident where a stone was hurled at the church during an evening mass.

The security has now been withdrawn, the Delhi Archdiocese has said. Police dismiss the attacks as stray incidents that are totally unconnected.

But the Delhi Archdiocese has alleged that the attacks appear to be orchestrated and have a common thread. The officials said that all the five churches attacked are Catholic churches. Geographically, the five attacks are spread in all the directions of the city.

Father Savarimuthu Sankar, spokesperson for the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said, “Look at the locations of the attacks. It started at Dilshad Garden in east Delhi, then Jasola in southwest Delhi, Rohini in outer Delhi, Vikaspuri in west Delhi and now at Vasant Kunj, south Delhi. No attack has been repeated in the same district. We met the police commissioner after the first attack and he had promised us action. We doubt if meeting him again is going to prevent the attacks.”

He added, “We are not pinning the blame on anyone but only confirming foul play. It is possible some elements are trying to create trouble to malign the present government. The Christian population in Delhi is very insignificant. We are peace loving people and are worried about the attacks.”

A senior police official said that except the December 6 attack at the Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Jasola that could be the handiwork of miscreants trying to bring disharmony among religions, the other cases appear to be regular cases of burglary, theft and short-circuit.