Masked man throws petrol bomb at church in Tumakuru

Tumakuru, Jul 14: A masked man attacked a church in Tumakuru on Thursday morning, setting the door on fire.

Police said the miscreant poured petrol on the main door of Tomlinson Church in Siragate and set it ablaze. Teams have been formed to trace the culprits, said SP Karthik Reddy.

No major damage was reported, but a portion of the wall beside the doors has turned black.

CCTV ?footage showed the vandal not being able to open the main gate and the smaller gate which were locked. He then threw a lit bottle filled with petrol at the church and fled. Soon, there was a fire at the spot.

Anoka, the sexton (who takes care of the church building), came out of his house, which is close by, when he heard a sound.

He collected water from a tap on the church premises and poured it over the fire. Three others residing on the premises helped him bring the blaze under control.

Reverend Elizabeth reached the spot after she was informed about the incident. Passersby called the police.

As news spread, several members of the community gathered at the church. Deputy Commissioner K?P?Mohan Raj, IGP (central range) Seemanth Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police Karthik Reddy and DySP Chidanandaswamy visited the spot and analysed the CCTV?footage.

Singh told reporters that five police teams have been formed to nab the suspect. Secretary of the church committee Jai Bhushan said they did not suspect anyone, but sought a speedy investigation.

Philip, a church member, said this is the first time the church has been attacked.

"We have been coming here to pray for 60 years. The church is surrounded by peace-loving citizens. We don't restrict anyone from entering. In the morning, residents living in the vicinity come to walk in the premises," he said.

The 86-year-old church is uniquely designed, bearing resemblance to a Hindu temple.