After desecration, Goa church body questions police claim
Thursday - May 24, 2018 9:04 pm ,
Category : INDIA
Panaji May 24 (IANS) In the wake of the desecration of a holy cross in a South Goa village a Goa Church body on Thursday questioned police claims of solving cases of earlier desecrations reported from the coastal state.
The Council for Social Justice and Peace a social arm of the Goa Church also said that these desecrations followed a definite pattern so as to instill fear and provoke negative feelings among "certain communities".
"Civil society groups prepared a fact-finding report that suggested such desecrations appeared to be the handiwork of a highly organised gang... Now that desecrations have resurfaced the CSJP demands proper and thorough independent investigation by the state government in all such cases in Goa " Council s Executive Secretary Fr. Savio Fernandes said in a statement.
On Wednesday a cross was found desecrated at Raia village after which police filed a case against unknown persons.
"The CSJP is deeply perturbed by another desecration of Christian religious symbol. The usual bias and knee-jerk reaction of the police in jumping to a conclusion and arrest of some migrant labourers living in vicinity offers no consolation to the Christian community " he added.
Last year Goa Police claimed to have cracked a series of desecrations with the arrest of taxi driver Francis Pereira who was accused of defiling over 60 crosses and two Hindu idols across Goa. Pereira is out on bail.
A fact-finding team including Council members had claimed that Pereira s arrest was a "mere eyewash".
--IANS maya/tsb/mr
The Council for Social Justice and Peace a social arm of the Goa Church also said that these desecrations followed a definite pattern so as to instill fear and provoke negative feelings among "certain communities".
"Civil society groups prepared a fact-finding report that suggested such desecrations appeared to be the handiwork of a highly organised gang... Now that desecrations have resurfaced the CSJP demands proper and thorough independent investigation by the state government in all such cases in Goa " Council s Executive Secretary Fr. Savio Fernandes said in a statement.
On Wednesday a cross was found desecrated at Raia village after which police filed a case against unknown persons.
"The CSJP is deeply perturbed by another desecration of Christian religious symbol. The usual bias and knee-jerk reaction of the police in jumping to a conclusion and arrest of some migrant labourers living in vicinity offers no consolation to the Christian community " he added.
Last year Goa Police claimed to have cracked a series of desecrations with the arrest of taxi driver Francis Pereira who was accused of defiling over 60 crosses and two Hindu idols across Goa. Pereira is out on bail.
A fact-finding team including Council members had claimed that Pereira s arrest was a "mere eyewash".
--IANS maya/tsb/mr
