The High Court of Gujarat issued stay order against the Government of Gujarat, the Collector of Bhavnagar district, Mamlatdar of Shihor and Western Gujarat Electricity Co Ltd on 29 November 2006 Ltd and adjourned for the next hearing on 11 December 2006. The court came down heavily on the Western Electricity Co Ltd for plotting to demolish Shri Sacchidananda Vidhyalaya within three days and directed them to maintain the status quo. The Court’s action was in response to an appeal made by Shri Sacchidanand Vidhyalaya belonging to the Catholic community situated at Shihor in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.

Samson C Christian, National Executive Member and Joint Secretary of All India Christian Council (aicc) said in a statement that extremist groups had become active with the blessings of MLA Sunil Oza of Bhavnagar (South) to destroy Shri Sacchidananda Gurukul Vidhyalaya run by the Catholic community for economically poor students in the area.

The State Government used its office to wreck vengeance on the hapless institution. The agencies of the administration involved in the act included the Collector of Bhavnagar, Mamlatdar of Shihor taluka, the Police Inspector of Shihor Police Station and the Western Electricity Co Ltd. It was with their support, the Government headed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, plotted to take over the school.

Earlier the Collector of Bhavnagar had issued an order at the behest of Hindu extremists and MLA Sunilbhai Oza for the evacuation from the school and seizure by the administration. With the help of aicc, an appeal was filed before the Special Secretary of Revenue Department on 3 November 2006. The Chief Secretary issued an order on 10 November 2006 against the order issued by the Collector of Bhavnagar and directed them to maintain status quo.

It may be recalled that Jan Jagaran Manch, an extremist Hindu group, had distributed pamphlets in Bhavnagar district and secretly organised Virat Hindu Sammelan (mass meeting) to discuss steps to destroy the Christian school in retaliation for its opposition to the Kumbh mela held earlier this year and also for filing a police complaint against them at Shihor Police Station on 17 November 2006 for hurting Christian religious sentiments. A senior official of the Western Electricity Co Ltd, Shihor also plotted to destroy the school and chase away the school management by issuing an order to demolish the building of the institution within three days.