MUMBAI: A 54-year-old pastor of a church in Nalasopara, his son and a church-goer were assaulted with iron rods by three men while the mass was in progress on Sunday.
A case has been registered against four persons. No arrest has been made. The pastor sustained head injuries in the incident.
In his complaint to Pelhar police, Xavier Palhar, pastor of the Saviour Jesus Church in Jadhav Pada, Nalasopara (east) said three masked men, later identified as Vikas Yadav, Shivendra Mourya and Arvind Patil barged into their church around 1 pm and assaulted him, his son Peter and one Subraj Nadar.
The trio accused them of being involved in conversion. The pastor said that a mass is held every Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm and people from different areas participate in it. He said the main accused, Sanjay Mahato, who is his neighbour, has been upset because of the crowd that gathers for the mass. The pastor said that the three men vandalised the church at the behest of Mahato.
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