Christians seek appeal against Orissa acquittals

Justice has not been served, they believe.

New Delhi:  Christian leaders in India have demanded an appeal against a court verdict on Tuesday that acquitted 54 people accused of burning down a church and 14 homes in 2007.

A court in Phulbani, Kandhamal district, cleared the 54 due to lack of evidence according to local media reports.

Christian leaders said the state government, the petitioner in the case, should appeal against the verdict in the state High Court to get justice for the Christians. Father Charles Irudayam, who heads the Indian Catholic bishops' justice commission, said the prosecution "may not have been strong enough" to seal a guilty verdict.

The prosecution accused the mob of torching an Odia Baptist church and the houses in Barkhama village on December 25, 2007.

"Justice has not been served in this case," Irudayam said, adding that the case should go to a higher court in the interests of justice.

Father Santhosh Digal of the Catholic archdiocese in Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa, echoed the sentiment.

"No one can deny the fact of the crime—a church and 14 houses were burnt down. But now the system fails to punish whoever has done it."

Father Digal said if those accused of the crime are innocent, the system should find the real culprits and punish them. "Otherwise, it is unfair for those who suffered," he said.

Catholic lay leader John Dayal told ucanews.com that "the large number of acquittals" will worry the Christian community across the country because it reveals a trend that favors people accused of violence against Christians.

On the other hand, "witnesses who are Christians are terrorized and they are not protected by the court," Dayal said. "It is for the government to challenge these acquittals in the High Court."

In a press release, the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) called on the National Human Rights Commission to "take suo moto [independent] investigation against the Orissa government officials involved in weakening the Kandhamal cases" involving Hindu rioting against Christians.

The riots, which began in Kandhamal on Christmas Day, were described by GCIC leader Sajan George as "the dress rehearsal for a massive attack" on Christians which took place in 2008.

Source: ucanews.com