The Christmas crib at the church caught fire, and was completely charred.
A month after a church was gutted in East Delhi, a minor fire was reported this morning from one in Rohini in Outer Delhi. The Christmas crib placed outside the church building was completely charred.
The head priest, Father Cyril Patrick, was the first to spot it this morning after mass, and called the police around 7:30 am. When asked if he suspected any foul play, Father Cyril told NDTV, "I don't want to blame anyone or any particular group but I think this deliberately done by someone. We have footage from CCTV where you can see something being poured from the top."
The police have taken the CCTV footage for further investigation and registered an FIR. "We have called an electric and forensic experts besides fire officials. Once they give their report we will know the exact cause of the fire," said a senior police official involved with the investigations
The divisional fire official SS Tuli told NDTV that prima facie, the fire seemed to have been started by a spark , and that investigations are presently underway.
Officials at the church say this is not the first time they have had a security issue. A few months ago, a statue was stolen from the church. This case is also sensitive, given that it comes just a month after there was arson in a church in East Delhi.
Chiristian groups had protested and the matter, which was also raised in Parliament. The Home Minister had also announced the setting up of an SIT to investigate and nab those behind the fire.