Vijaypura (Andhra Pradesh) : Police arrested two persons for ‘reading the Bible and praying’ inside a room of Arundel Choultry of the Sri Durgamalleswara Swami Varla Devasthanam (Durga temple), on a complaint from the temple authorities here on Sunday, according to an official press release.
According to the release, the duo — Sandeep and Raju — was staying in the choultry for the last one year on ‘payment against receipt’ basis and was working with a human hair contractor of the temple.
On receipt of information about the duo, the temple authorities visited the choultry along with police officials and had the room opened.
There they found a picture of Jesus Christ and a copy of the Holy Bible. The two workers told the police and the temple officials that they were not propagating Christianity and that they were only worshiping their God. The police, nonetheless, arrested them under AP Propagation of Other Religions in Places of Worship or Prayer (Prohibition) Act 2007.
The temple authorities also placed under suspension two staff members of the Arundel Choultry — junior assistant V Janaki Devi and record assistant Bayani Srinivasa Rao. An NMR B Veera Reddy was asked to keep off his duty. The temple authorities made it clear that such activities were not allowed under Section 747 of the Act under which the two workers had been arrested.
Source: New Indian Express
