UNI, Friday, 05 February 2010
Mandya : Miscreants attack on churches continue with one more church in Malavalli Taluk in the district desecrated in the early hours of today.
The incident was second in just 10 days after the attack on holy family church at Hinakal on the outskirts of Mysore City and came within days after Justice B K Somasekhar Commission submitted its interim report on attacks on churches or places of worship.
Police said a group of unidentified men gained entry into the 60-year-old St Mathias Church's and vandalised the holy Tabernacle where the church authorities preserve Eucharist (Body of Christ).
The miscreants also made away with precious Chalice and 10 silk sarees kept in two cupboards. However, the statue of St Mathias and the Holy Cross remained untouched.
Mr Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar, IGP (Southern Range), who visited the spot, told mediapersons that it was too early to comment whether it was an act of deliberate desecration or a burglary attempt was made.
''Taking into consideration the way miscreants have vandalised the property of church, it gives an impression of burglary.
''But police would investigate all angles. Especially, with controversies over church attacks being largely debated, it is possible the attackers might give it a colour of burglary to escape from larger crime of desecration.''
