Christian Preacher Sentenced for Desecrating Hindu Temple

Posted November 20, 2003
Author: UNI
Publication: The Hindu
Date: November 19, 2003
URL: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00319190042.htm

The two Britons, who broke the idol of Lord Rama at the Ealing Road Sanatam Mandir in Wembley last month, were sentenced for "racially aggravated criminal damages".

The Brent Magistrate Court on November 17 sentenced Toby Champney to two months imprisonment for "racially aggravated criminal damages". His fellow Christian preacher, Benjamin Lloyd Jones was fined 400 pounds for racially aggravated threatening behaviour, and set free.

The lower court's sentence has angered the Hindu community and many of them have raised the question of why a higher court had not heard the case.

One of the men snatched the mike and allegedly shouted there was only one God, the Jesus Christ, and they (the gathering) were stupid to worship a stone. The other man, it is said, then went up to the Ram idol and started shaking it. As a result the idol fell on the ground and one of its arm and the bow and arrow broke.

Some women then caught hold of the men and locked them up in a room. The police have arrested the two and, according to the report available, charged them with acts of vandalism.