Bhubaneswar: A Christian pastor was assaulted, paraded with a garland of shoes and forced to eat cow dung on suspicion of religious conversion in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on January 4.
The pastor Bipin Bihari Naik, his wife Vandana and others were in a prayer meeting on the day when a mob of 15 to 20 people allegedly asked Naik to come outside the house, which he refused, saying he would first complete the prayer.
His wife alleged that the mob then forcibly entered the house and began assaulting all attendees.
“Besides us, there were seven families who were praying. My children and I managed to run out of the house and rushed through a narrow alley towards the nearest police station,” Vandana told Maktoob Media.
Although the incident took place two weeks ago under the Parjang police station limits, it came to light recently after police registered a case after repeated insistence by the wife.
Wife claims police inaction, mob continued assault on pastor
Naik stated that he was dragged and severely beaten on every part of his body and repeatedly slapped and assaulted with sticks. Moreover, sindoor was smeared all over his face, as the mob made him wear a garland of slippers.
He was then paraded around the village in a humiliating state for nearly two hours, and even compelled to bow before a temple and chant religious slogans.
After escaping the mob, Vandana rushed to the police station, begging the officers to save her husband.
“It was only after nearly two hours that the police reached the village,” she said.
She claimed that the police initially told her there was no one in the village. Upon insisting that she will accompany them, Vandana came across the horrific sight of her husband.
“My husband was tied to a Hanuman temple in the village. Both his hands were tied behind a rod. He was forced to consume cow dung and was bleeding badly. People were slapping him and forcing him to chant Jai Sree Ram,” she said.
He was also forced to drink sewage water, which the police opposed, saying the claim was found to be incorrect during a preliminary inquiry.
Four arrested as pastor remains traumatised
As Naik was eventually rescued and taken to the police station, an activist speaking to Maktoob Media said the pastor was made to wait at the station for almost an hour without medical aid.
“By the time I reached there, he was sitting there numbly. He was barefoot, and his face still had sindoor on it. He was in a horrible condition,” the activist said.
The mob had attacked Naik on suspicion of religious conversion, but his wife has firmly rejected the accusation. Vandana also said the police tried to dismiss the incident and even refused to register a complaint due to counter-allegations of forceful conversion.
However, four accused have since been detained for their involvement in the assault.
“Based on the complaint lodged by pastor Bipin Naik’s wife, we have detained four people after examining several individuals. A case has been registered at Parjang Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” Dhenkanal Superintendent Abhinav Sonkar told PTI.
Vandana said her family were severely affected by the attack, and Naik has been unable to sleep since.
“We are both deeply traumatised. Naik has not been able to sleep since the incident. He has been taking medicines and is feeling a little better now. He has also recovered from his injuries,” she said.
Political leaders condemn violent attack
The incident has been widely condemned nationwide, with attacks against Christians continuing to gather steam.
In response to the attack, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma called it a “grave violation of the constitutional rights.”
Kerala Congress has also commented on the incident, stating it “is not just another ‘incident,’ it’s the product of hate politics under Modi.”
Congress national spokesperson from MP, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, said in a post on X that the attack reflects a wider political climate, “We unequivocally condemn these acts of violence against minorities, the inhuman treatment inflicted in full public view, and the space granted to fringe elements to hurt, humiliate, and terrorise with impunity.”
“India’s democracy cannot be sustained through fear, humiliation, or majoritarian dominance,” he added, urging the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre government to end this “culture of silence” and ensure protection to the affected families.
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