Tribals, numberinut 20, attacked and desecrated a church under construction at Rohiyal Talal village in the g abotribal-dominated Kaprada taluka near Surat in the wee hours of Sunday, 18 July 2004. A complaint has been registered under Sections 143, 427, 295, 447 of the IPC and the Bombay Police Act, 135. The police are yet to make arrests in this connection.

On Sunday morning, a tribal group, mainly farmers, arrived in vehicles and attacked the church.  The sidewalls, iron grills and windowpanes of the structure were damaged in the process.

Suresh Ada Varli, a resident of Gotwan Falia at Rohiyal Talal village, was constructing the church.  Investigating officer of the Kaprada police station, RJ Jhala, said the attack was the outcome of a rivalry within the family. “The issue was between two brothers who opposed their other brother following Christ.  The Hindu brothers had been resisting the construction, alleging it was illegal.  But when Suresh began the construction work, the brothers, along with other agitated villagers, desecrated the church.

The accused have been identified as residents of Rohiyal Talal, Khutli and Kaprada villages. About the involvement of the VHP in the attack, Jhala said some of the attackers from Kaprada village are local leaders of the VHP.