Udupi: Prayer group alleged of coercing widow, house damaged

Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)

Udupi, Feb 10: A Protestant prayer group at Marpalli here was reportedly asked by the police to vacate the place within a month, after locals complained that the group had been putting pressure on a widow to join the group and also creating disturbance in the area with late night prayer meets.

The prayer group, led by a person named Satish Ammanna, has been conducting prayers meets at a rented house near Mahalingeshwari Temple at Marpalli for the last four years.

Renuka, a widow and anganwady teacher by profession stays close to the prayer group's house. Renuka's husband is said to have committed suicide some months ago and ever since then the prayer group was reportedly putting pressure on her to join them. They had even conducted prayers in her house on a few occasions, it is said.

Renuka, who resigned from panchayat membership to teach at an anganwady, had resisted the pressure to join the prayer group. However, on Saturday February 8 matters came to a boil when Renuka firmly told the group to back off and in return was allegedly threatened by the group.

On Sunday February 9, the situation escalated further after the prayer group's house was pelted with stones resulting in damage. The group approached the police alleging that locals who were in support of the lady had committed the act.

Renuka was called to the police station, and when she came, several locals also accompanied her. The locals complained to the police that the prayer group had been creating disturbance in the area with prayer meets that go past midnight on Wednesdays. People from various places come in several vehicles to attend the prayer meets, said the locals.

The police, however did not register complaints from either side, but visited the prayer group's house to inspect and asked Satish Ammanna to vacate the house within a month.