Dhanbad district administration imposed prohibitory orders in Belgarhia township on Tuesday after a group of residents had on Monday night attacked a church and two of its teachers over a dispute about alleged religious conversion.

Dhanbad SP (rural) Amit Renu visited the site under Baliapur police limits, about 6km from Dhanbad town, and spoke to local residents and policemen, including OC Gopal Chandra Ghosal, who are investigating case.

The district administration has also registered cases against a number of people for the attack on the church and 100 others, all unidentified, for violating lockdown norms.

Bishop of Frontier Church Council, Daniel Ponraj rejected the accusation of religious conversions.

“We reject outright the charges of forced religious conversions levelled against two persons of our community in Belgarhia and appeal to people to maintain peace and calm. At the same time, we demand action against those involved in the attack on the church,” he said and thanked the district administration and police for its prompt action on Monday night.

The church, the Bishop said, was established recently on land taken on a 30-year lease from local residents. As many as 16 families of Belgarhia attend prayers there regularly.

Of the two teachers who take classes for children there, one is a resident of Arunachal Pradesh. He gives English lessons. The other, from Odisha, teaches music.

“Some parts of the church are still under construction. But prayers are being conducted regularly since the last few months. Children are also taught by these two teachers," Bishop Ponraj said.

On Monday, a group of Belgarhia residents raised a hue and cry, accusing the two teachers of forced religious conversions. They also attacked the church.

Later, the agitated group of people congregated outside the church shouting slogans against the two.

Policemen, led by Sindri DSP Ajeet Kumar Sinha, who reached the site at night, and took away the two persons under escort to protect them from the mob. They were admitted to PMCH as they complained of stress and breathlessness.

BJP MLA of Sindri Indrajit Mahto, who also reached in the colony at night, demanded a probe into the accusations of forced religious conversion against the two.

Bishop Daniel Ponraj demanded that adequate security be provided to religious places and to all the Christian families living in Belgarhia.

Police later carried out a flag march in the colony to defuse tension and deputed forces under the supervision of two DSPs to ensure maintenance of law and order.

Dhanbad SDO Raj Maheshwaram said, “We have registered cases of lockdown violation and initiated action under Section 107 of IPC and, at the same time, imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of IPC.