Priest of Saint John's Church in Krishnagar shoved by his own community men 

Over holding rights of felled trees uprooted during cyclone Amphan

While reacting to questions, Rev, David Roy said, “A meeting was convened inside the Saint John's Church in Krishnagar on the last Sunday. During the meeting, a few anti-socials barged into the premises and claimed before the priest to hand over the felled trees to them. When he and others raised protest, they started assaulting them. Even they dragged him to the nearby street and threatened him with dire consequences”. 

Biswabrata Goswami

KRISHNAGAR, 11 JUNE: In a dispute within the society of Christian community over holding rights on the felled trees uprooted during the super cyclone Amphan, the priest of Saint John's church in Krishnagar was allegedly shoved by his own community men.

With the holy ground of the church turning into a ‘mini-battleground’ which had never happened in the past, the two groups immediately went to the Kotwali police station and lodged complaints against each other.

Secretary Diocese of Barrackpore Rev. David Roy and few others today submitted a deputation before the Kotwali police urging them to arrest the five ‘anti-social elements’ who reportedly manhandled the priest of Krishnagar Saint John's Church, Rev. Lee and few others.

The Kotwali police, however, arrested two persons based on the complaint, but three others are still at large.

While reacting to questions, Rev, David Roy said, “A meeting was convened inside the Saint John's Church in Krishnagar on the last Sunday. During the meeting, a few anti-socials barged into the premises and claimed before the priest to hand over the felled trees to them. When he and others raised protest, they started assaulting them. Even they dragged him to the nearby street and threatened him with dire consequences”.  

Somnath Biswas, one of the accused who was arrested by the police following the incident and subsequently got bail from the Krishnagar Judges court, however, alleged that they did not assault the priest.

Mr Biswas who belongs to the Christian community and also secretary of Saint John's Church said, “The priest and his associates had deliberately felled two matured segun trees which were not uprooted during the cyclone Amphan. During the cyclone, two other trees were uprooted. In the meeting, we raised a question asking him to cite the reason behind the felling of two old and matured trees without taking any permission from the forest department. A scuffle rose following it and they went straight to the police station to lodge a complaint against us”.

He also alleged that the police did not take their complaint while they accepted the complaint from Rev. Lee. “Later police lifted from my house and arrested me”, Mr Biswas said.

Local residents alleged that Rev. Lee has a bad reputation on selling trees from church campus.

“When Rev. Lee was in charge of a church in Chapra, he reportedly sold more than 80 valuable trees from the church campus on his vested interest. After knowing this fact, the higher authorities transferred him to this Krishnagar St. John's church. Since he took charge of this church, he never showed expenditure of the funds before the society,” said a local resident.

A society man alleged Rev. Lee and his associates are directly involved with the ruling party. “He intentionally tagged the matter with the politics and influenced the ruling party’s state leadership to defame the rivals. As the protesters belong to the BJP, the police arrested two of them and initiated a case against them”, a local resident who is directly associated with the church. 
When asked, a Kotwali police officer said the police have initiated two separate cases based on the complaints lodged with them. 

Rev. Lee, however, was not available for his comment.