Inquiry on Mangalore church attacks begins

Inquiry on Mangalore violence on churches last year has begun on Monday.

The B.K. Somasekhara Commission of Inquiry has been designated to probe the series of attacks directed against Christian churches and prayer halls in Karnataka.

Stating that the proceedings of the inquiry will be kept transparent, the Commission gave ear to the recommendations by manager Siddappa Thimmavagol and assessor G. Ashwathanarayana who assessed the damages caused to the prayer halls.

The commission was told that total 888 affidavits including 458 from Dakshina Kannada have been received.

Police officials those from Ullal, Puttur, Belthangady, Bantwal rural, Bantwal town, Kadaba, Uppinangady, and Mangalore north contended that dozens of complaints have been received of Hindu radicals attacking prayer halls. Some of them have been arrested, they said.

A giant screen has been arranged for people to watch the proceedings outside the court.

On allegations of forced conversions, the Bajrang Dal activists on September 14, 2008, vandalized over 30 churches in Mangalore, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, and in other districts of Karnataka. The violence soon spread to Kolar, Dakshina Kannada and Kasargod where dozens of people were injured and arrested.

Mahendra Kumar, the state convener for the Bajrang Dal group, had claimed responsibility for the attacks.