Overview
- Assam Police arrested four office-bearers of the VHP and Bajrang Dal in Nalbari for allegedly vandalising decorations at St Mary’s School and burning festive items in shops.
- Officers said the accused were booked under multiple Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, intimidation, conspiracy and mischief by fire, with court production slated after interrogation.
- In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, police registered an FIR against 30–40 unidentified people after CCTV showed a masked group vandalising Christmas displays at Magneto Mall during a statewide bandh, and investigators are using footage and vehicle data to identify suspects.
- Reports detailed additional disruptions to Christmas-related events in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, including a fresh probe in Indore where a group tore down a Christmas tree at a public event as police took suo motu cognisance.
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma promised strict legal action, while the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and opposition leaders called for proactive protection of Christian communities.