Four masked youngsters in Punjab's Tarn Taran district allegedly vandalised a Pieta statue in a church, the police said on Wednesday, 31 August.
The incident occurred in the Takkarpura village of Patti town on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The men entered the church, held a gun to the watchman's head and tied up his hands. They then broke an idol and burned the pastor's car, the police said.
After the incident, a police team led by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, Ranjit Singh Dhillon, reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, heavy police force has been deployed in the area.
The cops said that they have "vital clues" and that a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged under Sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 452 (house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.
Dhillon, according to NDTV, said, "A few notorious elements tried to vandalise the idol of Jesus and set ablaze a car at the church in Patti. We're investigating the matter and have vital clues. There were four people, we are behind the culprits. We hope to solve it soon."
CM Bhagwant Mann Condemns 'Unpardonable' Incident
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the incident and ordered a strict investigation into the matter. "This is a highly condemnable incident and severest action must be taken against the perpetrators of this heinous crime," Mann said.
He also said that he had directed the state's DGP to investigate the "unpardonable" incident.
"This incident is a handiwork of the forces inimical to the peace, prosperity and progress of the state," Mann added.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also said that such actions were deliberately being taken by "mischievous elements" to cause divisions between people.
Furthermore, several people from the Christian community held a protest against the incident on Wednesday and blocked roads leading to Khemkaran, Bhikhiwind, Patti, Harike, and Ferozepur.
Father Thomas P of the Catholic Church, Patti, said that the men were there for 25 minutes.
"They threatened people and kept the security guard at gunpoint. The Inspector General reached the spot and assured us of action at the earliest," he added.
Condemnation of 'Forced Conversions'
This incident came a day after the Akal Takht Jathedar, head of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, issued a statement against "forced conversions" by Christian missionaries.
He said that Singh and SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami demanded action against those who convert people forcibly or through allurement.
They also demanded the withdrawal of an FIR against some Nihangs who were booked for allegedly disrupting an event organised by Christian missionaries at Daduana village in Amritsar district on Monday.
(With inputs from NDTV, PTI, and ANI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)