Mumbai, India, May 3, 2017 / 14:34 pm
Despite being located on private property, a 122 year-old cross was demolished late last month in a suburb of Mumbai, sparking legal action from the archdiocese.
"This is gross misuse of authority and the archdiocese, in collaboration with various representative bodies, will legally pursue the matter," archdiocesan spokesperson Father Nigel Barrett told Matters India in an April 30 article.
Local civic officers had demolished the cross a day before, inciting an angry response from the Catholic community. A makeshift cross was established hours later.
In 2016 the Allahabad High Court issued a directive calling for the removal of all religious structures which infringe upon any public roads, ranging from highways to pathways. The ruling is meant to restrict religious activities hindering the flow of traffic on public roads.