In a troubling incident in Gurgaon, a construction site for a church was allegedly vandalised by a group of masked men on Sunday night. The attack occurred in Teekli village of Sector 56, merely two days after a large village council, or mahapanchayat, was held to oppose the building's construction.
Night of Intimidation and Damage
According to a complaint filed by the Delhi Bible Fellowship, a registered religious charitable society, around 10 pm on Sunday, a group of approximately ten men arrived at the site. They reportedly used iron rods and pipes to bang on the main gate repeatedly. At least four individuals then jumped over the gate to gain entry.
Once inside, the intruders targeted the security and electrical infrastructure. They damaged CCTV cameras mounted on a pole and broke electrical light fittings. This vandalism caused a short circuit, which led to a fire in the cables. The society's complaint details that the men then entered the makeshift hut of two caretakers.
Caretakers Threatened, Evidence Taken
The assailants allegedly threatened the caretakers with dire consequences if the construction work continued. To conceal their identities, the attackers had covered their faces with cloth. They proceeded to break and then take away the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of the CCTV system and a Wi-Fi router from the hut, ensuring the surveillance footage could not be retrieved.
When visited on Monday, the site showed clear signs of the attack. Electrical fittings were broken, and a CCTV camera was found lying on the ground. This was not the first time the society faced opposition. They had previously complained on December 24 about villagers threatening workers. A mahapanchayat was subsequently held in the village on December 26, where strong objections were raised and, as per the complaint, hate speeches were delivered against the church's construction.
Police Response and Ongoing Tensions
Police officials confirmed they are verifying the details of the latest incident and trying to identify those involved. A team inspected the site, collected evidence, and photographed the damage. Statements from the caretakers have been recorded. While an FIR has not been registered yet, police mediated a talk between both parties on Monday evening.
An official stated, "We have assured the church society that they can continue with the construction work. Police personnel will be stationed on the premises to provide protection." The society claims the church is being built on 2 acres of land registered in its name in November 2019. They obtained the change of land use in December of last year and received building plan approval from the GMDA in July of this year.
