Miscreants allegedly desecrated a place of worship in Peradka in Renjaladi Village of Kadaba Taluk in Dakshina Kannada on Sunday.
According to a complaint filed on Thursday by Fr Jose Varghese of the Emmanuel Assembly of God, unknown people broke open the door, entered a prayer hall around midnight on May 1 and destroyed the holy cross. Those responsible then placed a Hindu flag and a photo of Lord Hanuman on the spot, the complaint said.
The miscreants absconded with an electricity meter and damaged documents inside a cupboard, the complaint said.
Fr Varghese also said in the complaint that the people stole bulbs, a water pump and pipes worth Rs 14,000. They also disconnected the power supply from the electricity pole and fled with the meter box on May 4, he said in the complaint.
A case has been registered under IPC sections 448 (punishment for trespass), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 427 (whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of Rs 50 or above), 379 (punishment for theft) at Kadaba police station.
Fr Varghese noted that the prayer hall had been paying its property taxes regularly for the last 30 years.
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