From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, May 18: In a brazen act of vandalism and theft, unidentified robbers armed with iron rods stormed the Umdihar Presbyterian Church in Ri-Bhoi on Friday night, making off with all the money donated by the congregation along with several valuable items. The robbers left a trail of destruction, scattering items they did not take across the church floor.
RB Shadap, an elder of the Umdihar Presbyterian Church, informed the media on Saturday morning that this was not the first such incident. Over the past few years, the church has experienced similar break-ins three to four times. This time, the robbers forced entry through a window using an iron rod.
Once inside, the thieves broke open locked almirahs, stealing all the tithing cash stored by the churchgoers. Among the stolen items were a valuable altar vase and musical instruments.
The robbers’ actions deeply hurt the sentiments of the church community, as they even stole a chalice, a significant religious item.
In previous incidents, the church opted to remain silent and did not report the thefts. However, given the severity of the recent burglary, church leaders decided to take a stand. Shadap emphasized the collective grief of the church members, especially the women, who were seen crying over the loss of their hard-earned tithing.
Following discussions, the church leaders have resolved to hand over the matter to the Dorbar Shnong of Umdihar. They are urging the local authorities to take necessary actions to apprehend the culprits and to file an FIR to prevent future occurrences.