Church razed in Maharashtra despite court stay order
Midnight demolition by PCMC draws condemnation
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has demolished a church in Maharashtra despite a court stay order, church members said.
According to Kashmir Media Service, an independent church in Kalewadi area near Pune was razed in a late-night operation by authorities in violation of a court stay order.
Rose Mathews, a member of Jesus Is Lord Church in Rajwade Nagar, said officials of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) ignored court documents presented by the congregation. The demolition was carried out under heavy police presence.
Congregation members and local leaders said the midnight demolition was done without prior notice, just hours before a scheduled court hearing on the structure. “The officials refused to examine the court papers and even prevented us from recording the demolition carried out by three JCB machines,” Mathews told media.
Church members said the timing raised questions about the authorities’ motives. They added that no advance notice, as required by law, was given. The municipal corporation claimed the demolition was part of a drive against unauthorized constructions in Rajwade Nagar.
The church was built a few years ago through small contributions from worshippers, many from low-income groups. Samuel Joseph, another member, said 20 to 25 congregants gathered and prayed before the demolition. He said they were not allowed to remove furniture and other belongings.
Joseph said the church was specifically targeted while other unauthorized structures in the area were left untouched, contradicting the civic body’s justification. Roy Mathews, a Christian activist based in Maharashtra, linked the demolition to growing anti-Christian sentiment in the state after the enforcement of a new anti-conversion law.
He said local authorities were increasingly targeting Christian institutions and prayer halls under the cover of administrative action.
