Attack on Neyyatinkara bishop's house
The attackers destroyed the windows of the house and were about to break in when a police patrol drew up. A local politician features among the suspects and intimidation or vandalism have been mooted as possible causes.
Neyyatinkara (AsiaNews) Four unidentified people, armed with wooden staffs, attacked the house of Mgr Vincent Samuel, the bishop of the diocese of Neyyatinkara in the southern state of Kerala, on the night between Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 October. A security guard was injured in the attack and three vehicles were damaged.
Mgr Christu Das, vicar-general of the diocese said: "The attack may have been ordered by the local mafia because of the bishop's commitment against alcoholism, which presents a serious social problem here. The local church has been undertaking a campaign for some time, calling for the introduction of more severe laws against this scourge."
Police said the bishop was sleeping in his room on the first floor when the attack took place at around 2.30am (local time). Bernard, the man who was keeping watch, sustained head injuries when he tried to stop the assailants from entering the building. He was admitted to the town hospital.
The four men started to smash windowpanes and the windscreens of vehicles parked in the compound. They cut off the power supply to the building and entered the compound by scaling the wall, however they were forced to flee when they spotted a police motorcycle patrol approaching.
"We are still shocked by the attack," Bishop Samuel said. He called on the government to open an urgent investigation into the attack, and he told AsiaNews: "It's the first time a religious institution is openly attacked in Kerala. This cannot go by unpunished."
Fr Robert, the secretary of the bishop, said: "Christians in Kerala enjoy good standing. The Prime Minister is a Christian, along with a good part of the population. The Diocese of Neyyatinkara counts 128,000 members. The institutions will stand by us in this time of crisis."
Some priests of the diocese say the attack followed a protest by some parishioners in Manickapuram; they were calling for the reinstatement of the parish priest who was recently transferred. Police suspect the assailants launched their attack on the same night to cast suspicion on the parishioners.
In further speculation, some say that the target of the attack may have been Fr Joseph Mathias, a priest living in the house who witnessed the homicide of one Krishnadas (devotee of Krishna), who was beaten to death in front of the bishop's house in Pathankally in 2003.
The police are also investigating a local politician, who stands accused in a case of an attack on Neyyatinkara police station in November 2002. "We are probing to see whether the attack on the Bishop's House was carried out to intimidate the priests from deposing at the trial of the case," said one official.
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05/05/2022 13:24
07/12/2006
