Bhubaneswar: Police in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district have detained five more persons in connection with the alleged assault and public humiliation of a pastor accused of forced religious conversions.
While a total of nine individuals have been detained, no arrests have been made so far.
“We have detained nine persons in connection with the attack on the pastor. They will be formally arrested if the circumstantial evidence substantiates the allegations against them,” Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar said.
According to sources, the incident took place on January 4 at Parjang village where Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik was reportedly invited to a private residence to offer prayers for a local resident’s health. While the prayer meeting was underway, a mob of 15-20 people allegedly stormed the house armed with sticks, assaulted the pastor and others present. They allegedly subjected the pastor to severe humiliation, while accusing him of involvement in forced religious conversions.
According to the complaint filed by the pastor’s wife, Bandana Naik of Kandarsinga village, the attackers smeared red sindoor (vermilion) on his face, garlanded him with slippers, paraded him through the village streets, forced him to bow before a temple, and compelled him to drink drain water.
Based on the written complaint, Parjang police registered a case on January 13, under Sections 191(2), 191(3), 126(2), 115(2), 351(2) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Sonkar, however, clarified that the preliminary probe indicated that the pastor was not forced to consume cow dung, as reported by a section of the media. The doctor’s report also confirmed the pastor sustained no serious injuries, he added.
The incident has sparked political controversy and drawn reactions from multiple parties. While Opposition Congress and BJD have condemned the attack, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has also reacted to the incident in a post on social media platform X.
“The recent attack on Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik in Odisha, forcing him to eat cow dung and chant religious slogans is a grave violation of the constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen of India. The repeated attacks on Christians taints the diverse culture and religious fabric of our nation. Strongly condemn this incident and urge the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take swift, decisive action against those responsible,” he wrote.
