Church attacks: Delhi Police send fingerprint samples to counterparts in other states

A comprehensive report regarding this matter was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, with another copy filed at the Delhi High Court, on July 2. If asked, this report may also be sent to the PMO for its perusal, said the police source.

“The alleged church attack incident at Vasant Kunj and the suspected burglary incident at the school in Vasant Vihar are such cases that have so far witnessed scientific investigation at the highest level. This is the first time that Delhi Police have made coordination efforts of such high level and sent fingerprint samples to all states and UTs,” said a police official.

The concerned report is a compilation of at least three cases: the alleged arson at the St Sebastian Catholic Church in north-east Delhi’s Dilshad Garden (there are reportedly no fingerprint samples in connection to this case), alleged vandalism at the St Alphonsa Church in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj (with around 10 <g data-gr-id="38">finger print</g> samples) and the incident of burglary at the Holy Child Auxilium School in Vasant Vihar (with around 25 samples), of which HRD Minister Smriti Irani is an alumna.

In all three of them, the police registered cases but they have not been able to track any accused yet. During the investigation of the Holy Child Auxilium School burglary incident, the police arrested five persons and claimed to have busted a <g data-gr-id="32">gang ,</g> which had allegedly committed as many as 105 school burglaries in past five years. “However, even after sustained interrogation, the accused have denied committing the alleged burglary at Holy Child Auxilium,” said an official privy to the investigation.

Even in the press statement released by Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) on May 15, the list of solved cases after busting the burglary gang ‘did not’ include the Holy Child Auxilium incident, though it mentions that the investigation started with that.

“Other states and Union Territories too had witnessed alleged crime in connection with Christian Institutes. The police teams there also claimed to have arrested several persons. By sending fingerprint samples, we want to cross check whether they match with the samples of the accused involved in any of those cases,” said the police source. He further <g data-gr-id="33">said,</g> the accused may be also turn out to be criminals from other states, with their fingerprints registered in police records.

The investigation of both the Vasant Kunj church attack and Vasant Vihar burglary are being done by the Special Task Force of <g data-gr-id="29">south</g> district. The investigation is being monitored by a Special Investigation Team headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).