Unidentified persons allegedly defiled a church, wrote 'Ram' on its interior walls, and burnt the worshipping place from the inside in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district on Sunday, 12 February.
Where did it happen? The incident is said to have occurred inside the church, which is located in the Sukhtawa village of Kesala block in Narmadapuram.
The church, situated around 40 kilometres from the district headquarters, is linked to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was built around five years ago.
The vandals reportedly burnt down religious texts placed inside the church. They then used oil paint to write 'Ram' on the interior wall.
What has the police said? Speaking to The Quint, Narmadapuram's Superintendent of Police Doctor Gurkaran Singh said that the vandals broke into the church through a window and burnt it from the inside.
He further said:
"As per initial investigation, it doesn't appear to be a part of any larger conspiracy rather an act committed out of personal grievances. We have registered a complaint and have got many clues and will soon be able to catch those involved in the incident."
On the lookout: Speaking to media earlier on Sunday night, Singh said that the church remained closed after the prayers conducted on previous Sunday. Worshippers got to know about the incident only this Sunday (12 February) when they came to pray.
The police have registered an FIR under Section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship) among others against unknown people.
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