Pastor arrested in Madurai for hurting religious sentiments

 The pastor was alleged to have made statements criticizing from a religious point of view.

According to Madurai Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran, the pastor was arrested between Othakadai and Madurai Ring road at around 7. 30 a.m. Earlier, the incident occurred in Kanyakumari district and the Kanyakumari police filed a case against the pastor. It’s learnt that the pastor was traveling to Chennai by road. Acting on a tip off, the police were alerted and vehicle checks were conducted in parts of Madurai district. After his arrest, the pastor was handed over to a special team that reached from Kanyakumari, the Madurai SP said.

Kanyakumari Superintendent of Police V. Badri Narayanan, said the pastor was charged with hurting religious sentiments after he’s reported to have spoken in an indoor meeting and Arumanai police filed an FIR in this regard. He would be produced before the judiciary for further action, the Kanyakumari SP said.

The clergy is a priest of Karungal parish. A video content that went viral on social media showed the pastor allegedly voicing his words about religious bias influenced voters -Christians and Muslims, who could bring politicians to power. The video further showed the pastor saying let the HRCE Minister P.K. Sekar Babu and IT Minister T. Mano Thangaraj conduct any ‘Kuda Muzhuku’ or give any sari or clothes to gift voters, you could not even get a single vote in their favor as neither a devotee of Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Amman temple nor a Hindu would cast their votes. If any victory is achieved, it should be treated as people gave as alms to the beggar. Even former DMK MLA N. Suresh Rajan from Nagercoil approached the clergies for seeking Christian votes at their doorsteps, but given the reluctance, it could be a chance of losing Hindu votes. Finally, the pastor said M.R. Gandhi of BJP would achieve victory.

The video became public two days after the indoor meeting and another video showing the pastor saying his message was doctored and selectively edited. Further, the pastor was quoted as saying he never hurt sentiments of the Hindu religion. However, the pastor apologized to his Hindu brethren at last.

Based on suo mottu complaint by Arumanai police on July 21, a case was filed against the pastor under Sections 153 (a), 295 (a), 505 (ii), 506 (i) and 269 of IPC and 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, sources said.