Two juveniles, involved in the incident of breaking the door of the Hawakhana Baptist Church were apprehended on Thursday by the Meghalaya police after they were handed over to them by the clan members (Maharis) of the two boys.
On the morning of Christmas, at about 2:45 am, one of the two juveniles, allegedly in a drunken fit, kicked the glass door of Hawakhana Baptist Church after which the second boy escorted him out of the area. The act was captured in the CCTV installed within the Church leading to a hunt for the two boys in the video.
The incident had created shock and disgust with pressure on the local police to quickly locate the people behind the incident. Police had stated earlier that it was a case of drunken teenagers and had no communal hues with even Church authorities backing up the statement of the police.
“We have apprehended the two involved in the incident and they are currently being moved to Court after legal procedures. The two apprehended are juveniles and as such will not be arrested but dealt with by the Juvenile Court itself,” superintendent of police of West Garo Hills Raghuvendra Kumar said.
The police chief added that the duo had confessed to their act and said that it was done under the influence of alcohol. The two apprehended juveniles are residents of Tura.
The video footage showing a teenager breaking the glass door of the church in Tura had gone viral in social media with wide spread condemnation.
The two juveniles were spotted in CCTV camera of Hawakhana Baptist Church that showed the juvenile kicking the glass door of the church, while the other boy trying to stop him. The church is situated opposite the Tura government college.
This was for the first time that such an incident had taken place during Christmas celebration in the hill town of Garo hills. Interestingly, Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and his ministerial colleague Clement Marak are also members of the Hawakhana Baptist Church.