New Delhi: A fire that destroyed the interior of a Catholic church in New Delhi on Monday has raised concern that the country’s Christian minority is being intentionally targeted. A guard at Saint Sebastian Catholic Church – empty at the time of the fire – notified the parish priest at about 6 am, and the fire brigade was called, lay leader John Dayal told an afternoon press briefing at the church attended by Archbishop Anil Cuto of Delhi.
"The police took their own time to come. They said a forensic team would be arriving soon, but they have not yet reached," Dayal said. "The police are not serious about this crime, which is communal in nature," he added. Police officer S Chauhan, under whose area the church falls, said police are investigating all angles, and until their probe is over they cannot speak about details of the investigation. “The first step is to collect evidence and determine the cause of the fire," he said, adding that the investigation has only just started.
Archbishop Cuto said the Church had "full faith" in the investigation and it would not be right to pointing accusing fingers at anyone until the facts of the investigation were known. But Father Thomas Paul, a New Delhi-based priest, questioned why the guard did not notice the fire sooner. “We have so many unanswered questions.” Meanwhile, Delhi Government on Tuesday appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the mysterious fire at a church here even as the Christian community sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention for a judicial probe into the incident as well as "violence" against them in some other states.
Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung constituted an SIT under the leadership of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav soon after a delegation led by Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto called on him seeking a detailed probe into the fire that gutted St Sebastian's Church in Tahirpur area in northeast Delhi yesterday. The Christians had alleged foul play in the fire. Despite the assurance, leaders of the community demanded a judicial inquiry in this case and intervention of the Prime Minister.
The LG assured Couto of zero tolerance against targeted and communal violence in the national capital. He said he was directing the Police Commissioner to see that the investigations into the burning of the church were carried out expeditiously and that all preventive measures were taken. The state government, he said, was deeply concerned about such issues. Earlier in the morning, scores of members of the Christian community and social activists staged a protest outside the Delhi Police headquarters over alleged police inaction in the case and demanded enhanced security measures for the minority community.
The protesters blocked ITO junction for almost two hours causing massive jams on related routes and disrupting connectivity between East and central Delhi during the morning rush hour. The church, constructed in 2001, is among the biggest churches in east Delhi. It was active till Sunday night because of religious ceremonies for Catholic children receiving their first Holy Communion. Among those who visited the church yesterday following the fire were former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some Members of Parliament and former MLAs of the area.
