1 arrested after Greek Orthodox priest shot outside church in France

Agencies
November 1, 2020

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Paris: A Greek Orthodox priest has been critically injured in a shooting outside a church in the French city of Lyon, a police source and witnesses said.

Nikolaos Kakavelaki, a 52-year-old Greek citizen, was closing his Lyon church mid-afternoon on Saturday when he was shot twice in the chest at point-blank range, sources close to the inquiry told the AFP news agency.

The priest is now in a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, a police official told The Associated Press.

The attacker fled the scene but Lyon’s public prosecutor later announced that a suspect had been arrested.

“A person who could correspond to the description given by the initial witnesses has been placed in policy custody,” prosecutor Nicolas Jacquet said, adding that the suspect had not been carrying a weapon when he was arrested.

The reason for the attack was unclear.

“No theory is favoured, no theory is ruled out,” Lyon Mayor Gregory Doucet told reporters at the scene. “We don’t know at this stage the motive for this attack.”

The shooting comes two days after a knife attack at a Catholic church in the French city of Nice that killed three people and amid tensions about a French newspaper’s publication of caricatures mocking the Prophet Muhammad.

French anti-terrorist authorities were not investigating Saturday’s attack, although the interior minister activated a special emergency team to follow the case.

‘Anxious and anguished’

Antoine Callot, the pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, told AP that the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon has not received any threats but said he immediately asked police for security protection at his church after the shooting.

“We are anxious and anguished. It’s really horrible,” he said. “Now, we need to hide and be careful.”

Prime Minister Jean Castex reiterated government promises to deploy military forces at religious sites and schools.

He said French people can “count on the nation to allow them to practise their religion in full safety and freedom”.

No one was guarding the church targeted in Lyon on Saturday, or the church attacked in Nice on Thursday.

The Greek foreign ministry said in a statement: “We condemn the attack against an Orthodox priest of Greek origin near the Church of the Annunciation in Lyon, France. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in constant contact with the competent French authorities.”

Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Greek Orthodox church, denounced a “horror that defies human logic”.

“Intolerant and fanatic extremists, fundamentalists of violence and death use religion as a bullet which aims at the heart of freedom and especially the freedom of belief of others,” he told reporters in the Greek capital, Athens.

European Council President Charles Michel condemned “this new abominable act in Lyon”.

He added in a tweet that “in Europe, the freedom of conscience is guaranteed for all and must be respected, violence is intolerable and must be condemned.”

EU Parliament President David Sassoli said that “Europe will never bow to violence and terrorism.”

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News Network
September 12,2024

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Mysuru: More than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the riots between two groups of different faiths, at Nagamangala town, Mandya district, over the Ganesha idol procession, on Wednesday night.

High drama prevailed in front of the Nagamangala town police station on Thursday morning, with women belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities staging a protest against the arrest of their family members and demanding their release.

The two groups started arguing over the Ganesha idol procession on the Mysuru-Nagamangala road, near a 'dargah'. This soon turned violent with stone being pelted. Reports said that around 25 shops were also set on fire.

Several vehicles were damaged and torched by the mob. However, police intervened and brought the situation under control, deploying additional police forces.

Holiday has been declared to schools and colleges in Nagamangala town until further notice. Police have imposed section 144 till 12 noon of September 14.

SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi, IGP (Southern Range) Boralingaiah, DC Kumar and other officials visited the spot.

District incharge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy visited the spot on Thursday morning and took stock of the situation. Speaking to reporters he said, the incident was unfortunate.

"The clash which started around 9 pm on Wednesday, flared up with miscreants setting fire, damaging shops and vehicles in the town. There is no need for anxiety. Additional police forces have been deployed in the town and the situation is under control now," he said.

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News Network
September 8,2024

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In a heartbreaking incident, a beautiful journey of love and new beginnings was abruptly shattered by a tragic accident on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway at Talapady in Bantwal taluk on Saturday, September 7.

Manasa, a newlywed bride, lost her life in a devastating car accident, leaving her husband, Aneesh Krishna, critically injured.

The couple, who had just begun their marital journey on September 5, was returning from a temple visit to settle dues when fate took a cruel turn. Their Alto car, in which they were traveling from B C Road towards Mangaluru, skidded off course after the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to jump the divider and collide head-on with a KSRTC bus.

In the blink of an eye, their world crumbled. The impact was so severe that their car was left mangled, with Manasa tragically losing her life at the scene. Aneesh, fighting for his life, has been rushed to a private hospital in Mangaluru.

Manasa and Aneesh, both professionals working in a private company in Mangaluru, had dreams of a life together, filled with shared moments and cherished memories. The couple's love story, celebrated just days ago with their wedding at the Denthadka Temple, now echoes in the hearts of their grieving families, forever marred by this tragic accident.

The Melkar police arrived swiftly at the scene and have begun their investigation, hoping to bring clarity to this devastating event.

In the aftermath of this tragic accident, the community mourns the loss of a young bride and prays for the recovery of a husband left fighting for his life.

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News Network
September 20,2024

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Mandya: The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nagamangala town in Mandya district has been suspended for "negligence and dereliction of duty" in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.

This is the second suspension of a police officer over the clashes on September 11 following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension here.

The situation in the town has since returned to normalcy and most of the shops have started operating. However, adequate security forces continued to be stationed here as a precautionary measure, according to police.

Sumeeth A R, DySP (Nagamangala), was suspended on Thursday for negligence and dereliction of duty, Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.

"He (Sumeeth) was not present at the spot nor was he at the police headquarters when the incident occurred. He arrived late at the spot despite the sensitive nature of events," he said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Ashok Kumar posted at Nagamangala town police station was suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the violence.

A total of 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

The police had used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.

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