PANAJI
The Mapusa police arrested Pastor Domnic D’Souza early Monday morning for allegedly practicing religious conversion and black magic.
This is the eighth First Information Report registered against Five Pillar Church Pastor, who was shifted to the hospital as he complained of “chest pain” soon after his arrest.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan told reporters that Mapusa police’s action was based on a complaint filed by a man from Tamil Nadu alleging that the Pastor asked him to forgo his old religion and adopt new religion (Christianity).
“We registered the offense against the Pastor under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him,” the officer said.
The Mapusa police, along with a team of forensic experts, subsequently searched the Church premises and the Pastor’s residence to collect evidence related to the case.
The FIR under sections 153-A (promoting disharmony or enmity between religious groups), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reliÂgious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reliÂgious beliefs), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) read with 34 (common intention) of IPC I, and Sections 3, 4, 7 of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 is registered against Domnic, and his wife Joan.
Domnic’s arrest also comes nearly six months after the High Court of Bombay at Goa had quashed and set aside the North Goa Collector’s order dated December 12, 2022, banning him and his wife from carrying out religious activities.
DySP Jivba Dalvi said that this is the third offense registered against him under similar sections. “In all, he has eight FIRs against him,” Dalvi said.
With repeated complaints against Domnic, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has demanded that the Pastor be externed from the State.
