Puttur: Four Arrested for Forcing Religious Conversions
Monday, August 29, 2011 9:44:59 AM (IST)
Puttur, Aug 29: Four persons, reportedly belonging to a Christian sect, were handed over to the police by the residents of Boodujal of Nedle village near Uppinangady on Sunday August 28. The locals, including some dalits, accused K J Kunhimonu (30) from Mundruppady in Dharmasthala, Saino P T (23), Lenny (26), and Mary (60) from Amminadka in Kalenja village, of visiting their homes every Sunday since a month, handing over books aimed at achieving their religious conversions, and advising them to pray to Jesus.
It is said that the houses which were targeted by the groups belong to dalits and economically backward Hindus. The locals said that the foursome forced them to convert into Christianity on Sunday. “When we refused, the visitors showed aggression, assaulted us, and spoke derogatorily on the basis of our caste affiliations,” the locals, who got together and handed these four people to the policemen, claimed.
Prema Mugera, a dalit from the locality, said in her police complaint that the group had berated her on the basis of her caste affiliation, and that the Hindu gods she believed in were derided with abusive words. Pravin, another resident, said that two members of the gang held his collar and assaulted him when he refused their demand for religious conversion.
The policemen of Uppinangady police station, who have registered cases against the above four people, have also registered complaint against two youth from Nedle relating the assault on the members of the said team.
Swarnesh, president of Hindu Jagaran Vedike, alleged that the policemen had initially not registered the complaint given by Prema Mugera. He also said that the station house officer had meted out injustice to the people of Nedle by registering counter-complaints against two residents, with the ulterior purpose of favouring the wrongdoers.