A church in Karnataka’s Mysuru was on Tuesday vandalised by unidentified persons, The Times of India reported, citing the police. The St Mary’s church, located in Periyapatna, was vandalised two days after Christmas.
Additional Superintendent of Police BN Nandini, who visited the site, said the culprits have damaged a statue of infant Jesus and took away an offering box placed near the altar.
“Prima facie appears to be a case of theft, but the case is being investigated from all angles,” Nandini said. “There was a house break-in in the town two days back and we are suspecting their involvement.”
The police are looking for CCTV footage to identify the miscreants. A team has been formed to arrest them, Mysuru Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar told ANI.
The vandalism took place when the priest had gone out of town in the evening, according to The Times of India. A fact-finding report last year showed that Karnataka was third in the number of attacks on Christians and their places of worship.
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