Tribal church forcefully shut down in Karnataka

Police on Sunday confiscated a newly built church in Davanagere district of Karnataka state.

According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the Indian Apostolic Church in Chennagiri village, was forcefully shut down by the police on claims that it lacked a legal license.

The church, which was dedicated on May 29, last month, was holding its first Sunday gathering when Hindu radicals along with police interrupted the meeting and questioned Pastor Pius.

The chief of the village accused Pius of starting the church without the official permission of the Panchayat.

Although, the pastor refuted the charges and even cited the necessary permission obtained for the church, the Panchayat chief refused to accept saying churches were disallowed in the village due to "conversion activities".

The pastor has been asked to register a case and "deal with the matter in the court".

According to the Bangalore-based advocacy group, the church was built for the tribal people in surrounding villages of Chennagiri. "The majority of the 25 members of the church are from tribal background and most of the attacks come from members of the higher castes in the area," GCIC noted.

This is the second time the district has witnessed persecution of Christians. "In 2007, Pastor Ramu and fifty believers in his church were brutally attacked by Hindu radicals," the advocacy group said.