Injured catholic priest dies in Chennai - AICC

Bhubaneswar, Oct 29 (UNI) Catholic Father Bernard Digal, injured in the communal violence in August, died in Chennai yesterday, All India Christian Council General Secretary John Dayal today said.

In a statement, Mr Dayal claimed that Mr Digal, a native of strife-torn Kandhamal district, was the first Roman Catholic priest killed in the violence.

He said the father was attacked on August 24 last, a day after VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four of his disciples were gunned down by some unknown assailants.

During the attack, Father Bernard was brutally beaten and left in a field overnight. The next morning he was taken to a local hospital and later shifted to a private hospital at Bhubaneswar.

For further treatment, he was later taken to Mumbai from where he was released. The father, Mr Dayal said, was recently admitted to a Chennai hospital where he died yesterday.

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