A Catholic school has been closed and its principal, a priest, has been arrested in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Authorities claimed that “objectionable materials” were found in the school’s premises.
Earlier, a report in the Free Press Journal said the collector of Morena district ordered the closure of St Mary’s School after a surprise inspection by the state’s Child Protection Commission along with the District Education Officer and the police.
The police reportedly arrested Father Dionysius R B, the school principal, after the March 25 inspection.
The collector acted on a petition from Nivedita Sharma, a commission member who led the inspection. She reportedly said her team had discovered several bottles of foreign liquor from the priest’s room. They also found some religious propaganda materials.
The Excise Department and Civil Line Police have reportedly registered cases while the education department sealed the school, said Ashutosh Bagri, the Superintendent of Police.
The school is under the diocese of Gwalior and Morena, about 470 kilometers north of the state capital of Bhopal, and 40 km northwest of Gwalior.
Diocesan officials, including the bishop, refused to talk to the media on the matter. Matters India tried to talk to Church officials in the diocese and the state several times without success.
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