Jesuit priest arrested for removing student's veil

A Jesuit priest in Ranchi was arrested after he allegedly removed the veil of a Muslim student last week.

Father Baa, a teacher at St Xavier's College, was arrested after a student, Neha Praveen, alleged that the priest forcibly removed her veil.

The incident occurred during a student protest against the college's decision to levy a fee for extra hours of teaching.

Fr Baa told media that he lifted Neha's veil only to ascertain she was a student of the college.

The priest said Neha had ignored his request to show her identity card, as many of the protesters were not students of the college.

The incident meanwhile was reported on a local Hindi daily leading to protests from Muslims.

Despite an apology from Fr Baa and the college, hundreds of mobs took to the streets, burning tyres and damaging vehicles.