Unidentified miscreants burn Bible inside chapel in MP's Itarsi, case lodged

Some unidentified miscreants allegedly brought a copy of the Holy Bible and burnt it inside a church compound at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh on Monday. A local resident complained to the police, who visited the spot and filed a case.

Narmadapuram (Madhya Pradesh):Unidentified miscreants barged intothe Evangelical Church of India (ECI) at Itarsi on Monday and allegedly burnt a copy of the Bible there, sources said. The incident was reported to the police station by Abhishek Marcus, a 51-year-old resident living close to the church. The miscreants brought the holy book from outside and set it ablaze inside the chapel.

Giving information about the incident, complainant Abhishek said, "I was informed about the incident by a woman who stays next door to his house. The man entrance gate of the church was locked. Perhaps, miscreants entered the church compound after scaling the boundary wall. The Holy Bible was found burnt. The miscreants before torching the holy book wrapped it in clothes."

"It appears that the miscreants brought the holy book to the chapel from outside and did the mischievous act of burning the religious book in front of the chapel door," said Marcus.

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Meanwhile, taking serious note of the incident, police in Itarsi district of Madhya Pradesh, have begun a manhunt to trace the culprits. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Awadesh Pratap Singh, "After receiving information, we rushed to the spot to investigate the matter. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Itarsi town. All the pages of the Bible were found burnt. Only one half burnt page of the Bible was recovered from the spot. We matched the half burnt page of the religious book with the original pages. It appears to be the Bible."

The ASP said that a case has been instituted against unidentified miscreants and the case was being probed from all angles.