New Delhi: A Catholic church in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden area, St Sebastian's Church, was completely gutted in a fire this morning. Preliminary investigations pointed to a deliberate attack, police sources confirmed to NDTV.
The forensic team found traces of kerosene inside the church premises, which led the police to conclude that the attack was pre-meditated.
A case of "mischief by fire" has been lodged and the police are questioning several persons, among them the watchman of the church.
The police will come out with a final report after the forensic team finalises its findings.
The authorities found out about the fire around 6.30 am after the watchman, who came in for work around that time, informed them. There was no security guard at the church between 5 and 6 am, which was when the authorities thought the fire started.
There was no casualty since the church was empty at the time.
The locals, who held a candlelight vigil today, plan to march to the police headquarters tomorrow. They demand compensation and an independent inquiry.
"It seems to be a deliberate act as we could smell kerosene on the spot. It has been a very emotional day for us," Father Stanley Kozhichira, of the Delhi archdiocese told NDTV.
"We are not blaming any particular group for the act. It has been done by anti-social elements. We want swift action by police", Chancellor of Delhi Catholic Church archdiocese, Father Mathew, told NDTV.
The church was built in 2001. Almost 3000 people attend the Sunday mass.
The forensic team found traces of kerosene inside the church premises, which led the police to conclude that the attack was pre-meditated.
A case of "mischief by fire" has been lodged and the police are questioning several persons, among them the watchman of the church.
The authorities found out about the fire around 6.30 am after the watchman, who came in for work around that time, informed them. There was no security guard at the church between 5 and 6 am, which was when the authorities thought the fire started.
Advertisement
The locals, who held a candlelight vigil today, plan to march to the police headquarters tomorrow. They demand compensation and an independent inquiry.
Advertisement
"We are not blaming any particular group for the act. It has been done by anti-social elements. We want swift action by police", Chancellor of Delhi Catholic Church archdiocese, Father Mathew, told NDTV.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Fire at Church in Delhi's Rohini, Investigation Underway After Delhi Church Fire, Archbishop Appeals to PM Modi to Ensure Safety Protests After Fire in Delhi Church, Police Investigate Possible Arson Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Joe Biden Is The Best Person To Take On Trump, Says His Campaign Wife Among Two Jailed For Life For Man's Murder In Gurugram: Cops 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.