Probe team blames police, govt in Christian preacher attack

Jaipur, May 3 (UNI) A national team to probe the attack on a Christian preacher here said the police and administration proved a total failure in tackling the crime, ''lending credence to the fact that culprits were having the tacit backing of the BJP government.'' The team comprising Civil Rights activist Teesta Setalvad, Maharashtra Minority Commission vice-chairman Abraham Mathai, National Integration Council Dr John Dayal and Supreme Court advocate and sister Maryese Cariah, told newspersons today that four days after the incident, the main accused Virendra Singh Ravana and two others are still at large.

The only solace was that Virendra, who was instrumental in beating up Christian preacher Walter Massey last Sunday, has been suspended from his government job. Massey is supposed to be indulging in conversions and as such was beaten up by 10-12 miscreants, alleged to be Bajrang Dal activists .

Ms Setalvad said the weak case lodged against the guilty, has been strengthened by adding Sections 153 A, 295 and 505 of the IPC.

Section 153 A for disturbing communal harmony, Section 295 for destruction of holy articles and Section 505 for destroying religious texts have been added to strengthen the case against the attackers.

The role of police and BJP government is highly suspicious, Dr Dayal said not a single person from the BJP government has visited Massey's house to console him till now.

Moreover, the police, which reached quite late at the incident site on Sunday, have been questioning Massey and his wife Joyce on their source of income and their vocation instead of provding them protection.

The team, which also met the Director General of Police, A S Gill today, said he admitted such attacks on minorities have increased in the state of late especially in Udaipur and Banswara regions and the police need to become more sensitive about such crimes.

Refuting claims that Massey indulged in conversions, Dr Dayal said with the Anti-Conversion Bill in the offing in the state, a definite pattern of Christian violence has emerged, which is generally preceded by a hate campaign.

Advocate Maryese said if conversions are on the rise as claimed by Hindu fundamentalist groups, then the Christian population in the country would not have decreased to 2.3 per cent in 2001 census from 2.8 per cent in 1991.

Demanding total protection and medical supervision for Massey's family as his 5-year-old daughter is still traumatised,the team members said they would hand over a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker and UPA chairman.

UNI