An orphanage serving differently abled children for the past 150 years was raided by government agencies in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The officers of the state units of National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Child Welfare Committee desecrated a church, beat up priests, destroyed computers and ransacked a convent during their May 8 raid of St Francis Orphanage at Shampura in Sagar district under Sagar diocese.
Police also arrested two priests, accusing them of obstructing government officials from discharging their duty. A local sub-divisional magistrate court granted them bail on the same day.
Father Joshy E P, one of the arrested priests, told Matters India on May 9, the police officials beat him and Father Naveen B after they objected to the inspection team members climbing on the altar of a British era church in the campus.
“The police beat and abused us with filthy language in front of everybody,” he said and added, “I was again thrashed on the police vehicle while being taken to the police station.”