Panaji (Goa) [India], January 1 (ANI): Goa police arrested a church pastor for his alleged involvement in conversion and black magic, police said on Monday.

According to the police, Five Pillar Church Pastor Dominic D Souza has been arrested by the Mapusa police.

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Mapusa Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jivba Dalvi said "An offence under section 153-A, 295-A, 506 (ii) R/w 34 IPC, Sections 3, 4, 7 of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 is registered against Pastor, his wife and unknown Members, all attached to Five Pillar Church."

"This is the third offence registered against him on similar sections and 5 more offences in different sections are already registered. In total, eight offences are registered against him," he added.

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Pastor Dominic had earlier been arrested in May this year. The High Court had quashed the state adminstration order to then ban Pastor Dominic's alleged conversion activity.

Earlier, Goa police busted an interstate gang and arrested seven people for stealing luxury phones worth Rs 25 lakh.

A total of seven individuals have been arrested for allegedly stealing high-end mobile phones during the Sunburn Festival 2023 at Vagator, Bardez Goa. All have been arrested under Section 379 r/w 34 IPC, the police said.

"The modus operandi of the thieves was such that they used to target music lovers and steal their high-end mobile phones while they were enjoying the Sunburn Festival. Several mobile theft cases have been reported since the onset of the Sunburn Festival in 2023," as per a press release.

During the seizure, 29 high-end mobile phones of different brands, which are all worth around Rs 25 lakh, were seized from the accused persons. (ANI)

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