Home News Catholic priests arrested in Indian orphanage raid

Catholic priests arrested in Indian orphanage raid

Police arrested the priests for allegedly obstructing government officials from discharging their duty

Authorities in India’s Madhya Pradesh state arrested two Catholic priests during a raid in an orphanage for differently abled children.

A report on Matters India said that officers of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the Child Welfare Committee desecrated a church, beat priests, destroyed computers, and ransacked a convent during the May 8 raid of St. Francis Orphanage at Shampura in the Diocese of Sagar.

Police arrested the priests for allegedly obstructing government officials from discharging their duty. They were released later on bail.



Father Joshy E P, one of the arrested priests, told Matters India that the police beat him and Father Naveen B after they raised their objection when inspection team members climbed the altar of the British-era church in the campus.

“The police beat and abused us with filthy language in front of everybody,” said the priest. “I was again thrashed on the police vehicle while being taken to the police station,” he added.

Orphanage officials said the raid, which took place a day before the Madhya Pradesh High Court was scheduled to hear petition from the orphanage, was unnecessary and was done without any prior notice.

The renewal of the orphanage’s registration has been pending before the state government department for the past three years.

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Read the full story on Matters India

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