A priest in New Delhi has criticised local police for their apparent failure in investigating the recent vandalism committed against Christian churches in the city.
"[T]he community says it has lost faith in the Delhi police, who have failed to solve the conspiracy that has led to the vandalism, arson and desecration of churches," Fr Savarimuthu Sankar, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Delhi, told the Catholic News Agency.
Fr Sankar referred to the recent attacks on five New Delhi churches. The first was an arson attack on St Sebastian Church in Dilshad Garden on December 2, followed by the stoning of Our Lady of Fatima in Jasola while Mass was being celebrated on December 7.
Arson was also apparently committed in the Church of the Resurrection in Rohini on January 4 and, 10 days later, vandals destroyed a statue of the Blessed Mary in Vikaspuri's Our Lady of Graces.
The final incident was the theft of the monstrance, ciborium and chalice of St Alphonsa's on February 2.
Fr Sankar said that, after the fire at St Sebastian, the police promised a "thorough investigation" but apparently failed to follow up on that promise.
The priest also accused the police of downplaying the incidents. "Instead of probing the crimes, the police have consistently tried to minimize them," Fr Sankar complained. "Despite detailed complaints, the effort has been to list them as minor thefts."
Fr Sankar highlighted the actions of policemen in the aftermath of the St Alphonsa's theft, stating that local police had written off the offence as a "simple case of theft" despite the value of the artifacts stolen from the community. He also said that the write-off was "apparently under orders of the senior officers."
Fr Sankar then told CNA that community representatives have already sent a letter of memorandum to the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, to inform him of the police's lack of response to the incidents.
"It is quite clear that the Delhi police have failed to give these crimes the attention they deserve, and is trying to trivialise them," the memorandum stated.
