RAIPUR -- Seven more people have been arrested in connection with a church being vandalised and its parishioners thrashed and assaulted in Chhattisgarh, after they came ahead and surrendered to the police.
This arrest brings up the total to seventeen as ten people had been arrested earlier.
The arrests were made after the victims had identified the attackers, who were all local men.
The Centre had earlier sought a report from the Chhattisgarh Government over the matter as Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that the police have already taken necessary action and the guilty will not be spared.
According to the footage released by the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, men were seen barging into a church and vandalizing furniture, musical instruments and mocking the devotees.
"Members of the Bajrang Dal chanting 'Jai Sri Ram' charged into the church. They attacked woman, ripped their clothes off and also thrashed infants. They began alleging that people were being converted here. The police came here and seized the vehicles the attackers came here. They desecrated the Bible and some of the pictures that were hung on the wall," Chhattisgarh Christian Forum President Arun Pannalal told ANI.
The Chhattisgarh Christian Association has demanded stern action against the vandals.
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