Emmanuel says, “The plot was lying vacant and people used it to dump garbage. The church took it over to maintain it — it is government land and they can make anything on it.”

Two policemen have now been deployed in the church.

Locals, though, say nothing of the sort happened. Prem Chand, an area resident, says, “We go out for work the whole day and our women are at home. We don’t know about any protest.”

PITAMPURA church, opposite New Academy School Construction of this church begun six months ago, and church officials say locals manhandled construction workers while work was on. “Residents said they did not want a church here,” Father Santosh from the church says. After the reported ruckus, construction work was stopped temporarily but the church was attacked again in July. This time, they called the police.