Sat, 20/03/2010 - 9:40pm Supreme Court questions Church property law

The Supreme Court of India today [March 20] asked Madhya Pradesh state to explain its move to enact a state law to manage Christian properties in the state.

The court response comes in following a plea by Church spokesperson Father Anand Muttungal seeking to restrain the state establishing a state-controlled trust system to control Christian properties.

The court asked the state to file their replies within four weeks.

The Church petition claims a resolution for such a law was passed in the absence of commission’s chairman.

“Therefore the commission members overstepped their jurisdiction. Similarly, the commission had also passed a resolution seeking property details of the Church including its schools, churches and cemeteries,” Father Muttungal said.

The district collectors and education department issued notices to certain Church schools to provide the details. The Church refused and took the matter to the Madhya Pradesh High Court and then to higher court when the state court failed to stop the state moves.

Lawyer Sister Mary Scaria, who was part of the panel of lawyers dealing with the case told UCA News that the court served notices on the state and four others listed as respondents, seeking their replies on the matter.

The notice was also sent to district educational officer of Jhabua district, state minority commission and the Christian member of the commission, who claimed to have pushed the idea, the sister informed

Sat, 20/03/2010 - 9:04pm BJP legislator among 14 acquitted in Kandhamal riot case

Phulbani-Orissa
20 Th March

A fast track court in Orissa's Kandhamal district Saturday acquitted 14 people, including a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, in a Kandhamal riot case, an official said.

'Fourteen people have been acquitted in the case,' public prosecutor Bijay Pattnaik said.

BJP legislator Manoj Pradhan and 13 others were acquitted in absence of evidence against them.

'The judge acquitted all of them for want of evidence and the charges could not be proved,' said Ajit Pattnaik, counsel for Pradhan.

Arson cases were filed against the 14 men August 25, 2008, by Sushant Dalbehera of Dadingia village.

The BJP legislator is an accused in six more cases of rioting and arson in Kandhamal district.

Sat, 20/03/2010 - 1:30pm VHP leader Togadia arrested for trying to walk into Kandhamal,released

Bhubaneswar, Mar 20

Firebrand VHP leader Praveen Togadia was tonight arrested alongwith his supporters by the Orissa Police as they tried to enter riot-hit Kandhamal district, defying a ban on their visit.

Togadia, who arrived at Charichowk in Boudh district, neighbouring Kandhamal, was held under Section 151 of the CrPc when they tried to walk into Kandhamal district despite a ban, police said. After they were asked not to proceed to the district, they initially held a sit-in protest at Charichowk.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia was arrested late on Friday night for attempting to enter Kandhamal district defying a ban on his entry.

The VHP leader, however, was released early on Saturday morning, according to the Kandhamal police.

Togadia, who was accompanied by several leaders of VHP and Bharatiya Janata Party, initially staged a dharna at Charichhak, one of the entry points to Kandhamal, when he was prevented from entering the communally sensitive district.

Togadia and few of his supporters were taken into custody when tried to walk into Kandhamal around midnight and lodged at the forest inspection bungalow at Charichhak.

After his release, Togadia left for Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district without entering Kandhamal. He was scheduled to address a VHP meeting at Bhanjanagar.

Meanwhile, the VHP started observing a day-long-bandh in Kandhamal today.

The VHP also announced to stage demonstrations in different parts of the state during the day to register protest against Togadia's arrest.

Thu, 18/03/2010 - 4:52pm Lipsa Naik six year boldly disposes in the Phulbhani court-Orissa

Phulbhani-(Orissa)
Lipsa Naik(6), is totally ignorant of the administrative and judicial system of the State but has shown her boldness and bravery in giving her testimony as the eye witness to the murder of her father in the First Track Court No.1 at Phulbani in spite of lot many threats against her and her widow mother.
In the said Court on last 14.03.2010, she has identified BJP M.L.A Manoj Pradhan as her father's killer who has been elected from the G. Udayagiri constituency while in the Jail. When the hon'ble Court asked her about who was the murderer of her father, this Lipsa boldly uttered her confession pointing this M.L.A Manoj Pradhan who did the said heinous crime. Her widow mother also gave her testimony as 2nd eye witness to this murder of believer Manoj Naik of Tiangia village of G. Udayagiri, Kandhamal.
This was happened just after the communal violence broke out after the killing of Swami Laxamanananda Saraswoti when Lipsa, her another sister Kuni(2) fled to the nearby forest along with their Parent. But ultimately the supporters of Swamiji as were chasing after, could locate them inside the forest. And after mercilessly beating her father Monaj Naik for about 1 & 1/2 hours, they stabbed and cut him into pieces by the lethal weapons together and put Kerosin on his body and set fire on him in a brutal manner.
At this juncture when the situation in Kandhamal is still volatile and no eye witnesses to the major serious cases are not coming forward due tosevere threat to their lives, this small girl with her mother, could come and boldly gave her testimony in the Court in favour of his innocent father's murder case.

Thu, 18/03/2010 - 11:38am Dead body tossed and dumped by radicals

Arsikere-Karnataka
17th Wednesday-2010

As if burying the dead Christians in own cemetery were illegal in India, nearly1 50 villagers lead by led Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and Bajrang Dal activists on 17th March stormed in to the compound of the St. Thomas church in Gijahalli two Kms from Arsikere, Karnataka. Then the extremists entered the cemetery premises shouting “Jai Shri Ram [Victory to Lord Ram].” the bereaved family and friends were shocked and pleaded with the radicals to spare the dead body and respect the dead one.
Late Mr Issac a 50 year member of St.Thomas church was taken in the earthly final journey to the cemetery for his funeral service , a land owned by the church ,purchased in the year 2009 with own funds proved not be his final journey for eternal rest . When the funeral service was about to begin by the presbyter Sunder Raj pastor of the a century old church ,the perpetrators unleashed brutal attack on the mourners and the dead body. The coffin was pulled apart and the cross carried by the believers was desecrated and over again they have despised the dead body .The savage attackers have brought the village pancayath tractor and tossed the dead body in and dumped out side the village. The callous actors asked the believers to carry the dead body to Rome or America as the dead Christians may contaminate the soil.

Hindu extremists forcefully took the dead body and carted away on a tractor . The district depty superindent of police came for help and was buried the dead boy at around 11 in the night. At press time, police were investigating the complaints lodged by Christians.

Wed, 17/03/2010 - 8:32pm Bishop and Christian believers seek bail in alleged conversion case

Satna(Madhya Pradesh)17th March-2010

Church people, including a bishop, yesterday sought anticipatory bail after police booked them for violating a central Indian state’s law on religious conversion.Global council of Indian Christians(GCIC) urges all sections of society to persuade Madhy Pradesh government to roll back the reprehensible anti conversion law, successfully used to blunt the social engineering by the church for the poor

Bishop Mathew Vaniakizhakkel of Satna, a diocese in Madhya Pradesh state, has dismissed the case against him, two priests, a nun and two laypeople as “totally fabricated.”

The bishop said today that the case is “part of a motivated campaign against the Church for its role in helping the weaker sections of society.”

Police registered the case under non-bailable sections of the state’s stringent anti-conversion law after one Christopher Pavy, a Christian, complained that a woman converted to Catholicism before her marriage in May 2009.

Pavy also sought action against the bishop and others under the state law that forbids conversion through force or allurement.

However, the woman’s brother, Nand Kishore, says the charge is false as “ours is a strong Catholic family.” Kishore, who is a lawyer, informed that his family attends Church services regularly. “My sister’s marriage was done according to our Christian tradition,” he added.

The bishop said the Church baptizes only the children of Catholics, “hence, the question of conversion does not arise at all.”

Father Jolly Konnukodan, assistant parish priest of Satna’s St. Vincent Cathedral, told UCA News that the Church applied for anticipatory bail since it took the case seriously.

The priest said the police had already investigated the case after they received a similar complaint soon after the woman’s marriage.

This was corroborated by police officer Shashank Garg, who probed the case earlier. “There was no merit in the case,” he told UCA News.

Father Konnudkodan regretted that “vested interests use the case to harass us regularly.”

On March 11, two days after Pavy filed the case, some Hindu radicals tried to vandalize the cathedral but police foiled that attempt.

Sacred Heart Sister Pauly, who is among the accused, expressed shock over the case. “I am engaged in educating children and not in any conversion activities as alleged,” the principal of Christ Jyoti Senior Secondary School informed.