Called to record statements, 11 parishioners held

They were released on bail, say the police stressed them; will transfer HC to quash FIR towards them.

Eleven parishioners of a Thane church, who incurred the wrath of the native civic government for burying an ex-serviceman and struggle veteran in a residential zone on Pokhran Road due to area crunch on the burial floor, were arrested on Tuesday after being known as to the police station give their statements in the matter.

The parishioners additionally alleged that they were stressed via the police officers.

After spending a while in the lock-up at Vartak Nagar police station, the 11 were produced in the Thane courtroom, which released them on furnishing a bail bond of Rs five,000 every.

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had issued a realize to Vartak Nagar police station towards Justin Rayan, Peter George, Melwyn Fernandes, Sunil Saldanha, Anil D’Souza, Patrick D’Souza, Danny D’Souza, Michael Alva, Richard Joseph, Johnson Augustine and Edwin D’Costa for establishing the funeral of 95-yearold Jesiah Rayan in the residential zone of Our Lady of Mercy Church with out in the hunt for requisite permission from the civic frame’s delivery and demise certificate division. The land, which in the beginning belongs to St John the Baptist Church, is in ownership of Our Lady of Mercy Church for 100 years. Jesiah’s son Justin Rayan, who was additionally arrested, had mentioned that around 1,500 parishioners participated in the burial ceremony at the church plot around midday on March 20. The realize was converted into an FIR ultimate Thursday.

Melwyn Fernandes, secretary of the Association of Concerned Catholics, mentioned, “We were known as on the police station for giving our statements. We went with all our paperwork at 10.15 am. They took our photographs and identification playing cards, together with Aadhaar card. Thereafter, they arrested us underneath Section 320 of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act. This stuck us unawares. They additionally stressed us. This isn’t a big crime. It was our personal church land and we had no longer merely taken permission from the TMC for the burial.” Fernandes added that the they will transfer the Bombay High Court for quashing the FIR towards them.

The parishioners mentioned that they wanted to give Jesiah, a former freedom fighter who received five medals for exemplary service in the Army, a good burial. But the existing cemetery in Thane hardly has any area with the graves stacked on every different.

Meanwhile, St John the Baptist Church in Thane has written to mum or dad minister Eknath Shinde to regularise Jesiah’s burial. “We, the trustees of St John the Baptist, have no objection to the burial on our land and wish the TMC to regularise the grave,” mentioned Fr Rudolph Andrades, trustee of St John the Baptist Trust.

The 11 parishioners after being released