A/55/280
condemned by the majority community and the
media.
Update on the Graham Staines murder case and
the rape of nuns in Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh
(allegation)
The report of the one-man commission of
inquiry referred to in subparagraph (iii) above
was submitted to the Government in June 1999.
The report, along with the action taken report,
was laid before both Houses of Parliament in
November/December 1999. As per the finding of
the inquiry, one Dara Singh was responsible for
the murder of the late Graham Staines and his two
sons. He was arrested by the state police on 31
January 2000 and is in judicial custody. The
Central Bureau of Investigations inquiry is also
progressing concurrently.
With regard to the rape of nuns at Jhabua in
Madhya Pradesh, which took place on 22/23
September 1998, a case was registered under the
Indian Penal Code against 26 persons who were
found to be involved. Of the accused, 22 have
been arrested and four are at large. A magisterial
inquiry has also been conducted by the state
government.
Christian girls and women have become the main
target of Hindu militants (allegation)
This allegation is baseless and unfounded.
Incident on 30 June 1999 in Mumbai of vandalism
against the Sacred Heart School at Worli by
suspected Shiv Sena activists (allegation)
The details in respect of the incident of 30
June 1999 at the Sacred Heart School at Worli,
Mumbai, are being collected from the
Government of Maharashtra and will be sent as
soon as received.
Incident on 2 September 1999 in which a Catholic
priest, Father Arul Doss, was reportedly murdered
by suspected Hindu militants (allegation)
Father Arul Doss was murdered in the
village of Jamubani in Mayurbhanj District of
Orissa on the night of 1-2 September 1999 by a
group of about 15 persons. The Government of
Orissa have informed that nine of the accused
18
persons have been arrested and efforts are under
way to seize the remaining culprits. It has been
alleged that Dara Singh, the prime suspect in the
Graham Staines murder case, who has since been
arrested, was also involved in this crime.
However, the truth will be known after the
investigation is completed.
Incident on 8 October 1999 in the town of Dahod,
Gujarat, in which Christian leaders from the
Filadelfia Fellowship Church were reportedly
attacked by Hindu militants (allegation)
According to available reports, four
Christian priests, including one British, were
arrested by the Dahod (Gujarat) police on charges
of using abusive language against Hindu gods and
motivating the tribal people to embrace
Christianity at a musical programme organized at
the Freeland Ganj locality of Dahod town. The
programme was reportedly organized under the
banner of World Vision. The priests were later
released on bail. As such, no atrocity was
committed against members of the Christian
community in this case. Actions which may incite
to communal disharmony or create a law and
order problem are offences under Indian law.
India is a multiracial and multi-religious
society and the tone of its policy is set in the
preamble to the Constitution itself, which
provides for a secular, democratic republic
securing to all citizens justice, liberty, equality
and fraternity without any discrimination on
grounds of religion, caste, creed, sex and ethnic
origin, etc. There are equal opportunities for all
and members of various communities have lived
and continue to live in harmony. The right to
freedom of religion is enshrined under article 25
of the Constitution and the rights of minorities
are protected under articles 26 to 30. Further, the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is
exclusively responsible for the development and
welfare of minorities. The National Commission
for Minorities has been set up to look into the
interests of minorities under the administrative
charge of the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment. The Minorities Cell functioning
within the Ministry of Home Affairs addresses
complaints of atrocities against minorities.