MANGALURU: Unidentified miscreants on Saturday demolished a Christian prayer hall cum Anganawadi at Urudady Gudde in Panjimogaru triggering outrage among the Christian community.

According to Roy Castelino, PRO, Mangalore Diocese, the prayer hall was built on 585 sq ft land more than 40 years ago and was managed by the St Antony Building Committee formed by local people of the area.

He gave some documents which showed that the property was in dispute between the said Committee and Women and Child Welfare Department and the latter had sought its demolition.

The Fourth Additional Civil Judge and JMFC Court, Mangaluru, had on January 28, 2022, restrained the defendants from demolishing any structure or building existing in the suit properties, without following due process of law, till the disposal of the interlocutory application. The next hearing of the case is on February 14.

Castelino said, some unauthorized persons started chopping the trees in the prayer hall premises after which they suspected that they could also demolish the prayer hall and lodged a complaint with the Kavoor police station. But he alleged that the police did not respond to it.

On Saturday, around 11 am when the majority of the people living in the prayer hall surroundings had gone out for work, some unidentified miscreants demolished the prayer hall using a backhoe. Some women recorded the demolition on their cellphones.

Castelino termed it a clear case of contempt of court and added that they will file a police complaint over the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of police KV Rajendra said they have sought a complete report from the Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Department with regard to the incident. “I received a complaint in this regard after the structure was demolished. Preliminary reports suggest it had gone to PRED (Panchayat Raj Engineering Department) to construct an Anganwadi. But it is not clear who demolished it. I have asked to check whether there was no court stay against demolition and whether the Anganwadi could have to be constructed sparing the prayer hall,” he said.

Meanwhile, ACP Mahesh visited the spot.