More than fifteen days after a Christian pastor was brutally assaulted, publicly humiliated, and tortured by a Hindutva mob in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, no arrests have been made, raising serious questions about police inaction, selective enforcement of the law, and the shrinking space for religious minorities to live without fear.
The attack on Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik, which took place on January 4, 2026 in Parjang village, involved acts of violence so extreme that they amount to public torture and religious coercion—including forced consumption of cow dung, public parading with a garland of slippers, and attempts to compel religious slogans. Despite the public uproar, the case has seen little progress, with the alleged perpetrators remaining at large and the victim facing a counter-FIR instead.
As the delay continues, anxiety has spread beyond the pastor’s family to the wider Christian community in the region, several of whom have reportedly gone into hiding. What has unfolded in Parjang is no longer being viewed as an isolated incident, but as part of a growing pattern of communal violence, administrative apathy, and criminalisation of religious practice, increasingly reported across Odisha.
Pastor chooses forgiveness on Graham Staines’ martyrdom anniversary
On the anniversary of the martyrdom of Australian missionary Graham Staines, who was burnt alive along with his two young sons in Odisha in 1999, Pastor Naik publicly chose the path of forgiveness over retribution.
Speaking to Catholic Connect, the pastor said he had forgiven not only those who assaulted and humiliated him, but also those who falsely accused him of forced religious conversion.
“On the anniversary of the martyrdom of Graham Staines, I choose forgiveness. I forgive those who assaulted me and those who falsely accused me. Our God forgives us unconditionally, and He teaches us to forgive. In that spirit, I forgive them and place everything in God’s hands,” he said.
However, Pastor Naik emphasised that forgiveness did not mean surrendering constitutional rights. His sole appeal to the authorities, he said, was for peace, safety, and freedom of religion.
“I have only one humble request: that my family, I, and all the Christian faithful be allowed to live peacefully and freely strengthen our faith in the God we have chosen to follow. This is what I clearly conveyed to the Superintendent of Police when I met him in Dhenkanal on 13 January.”
He also expressed gratitude to individuals and organisations across Odisha and beyond who stood by him during what he described as one of the darkest moments of his life, acknowledging the prayers, solidarity, and moral support he received.
Elder Brother: “Justice has still not been delivered”
Echoing the pastor’s anguish, his elder brother Udaya Naik spoke to Catholic Connect about the family’s ordeal since the attack, stating bluntly that justice has not been delivered even after fifteen days.
“Instead of justice, our family is living in constant pain, disturbance, and a complete loss of peace,” he said.
According to Udaya, when the local police failed to act, the family mobilised support from the Christian community and personally approached senior authorities.
“When no action was taken by the local police, I gathered around forty-five faithful members and went to the office of the Superintendent of Police to submit a complaint. We spent nearly eight to ten thousand rupees hiring a vehicle to reach there, hoping our voices would be heard.”
Despite these efforts, he said, no concrete steps were taken.
“This prolonged inaction has shaken my faith in the Constitution and the justice system—especially for innocent people like us.”
Allegations of police negligence and delayed response
Udaya Naik alleged that the assault was premeditated and could have been prevented had the police acted promptly.
“Had the police responded immediately, my brother could have been rescued,” he said. During the assault, family members repeatedly contacted the police helpline, while Pastor Naik’s wife, Vandana, rushed to the nearest police station. Instead of intervening immediately, the police allegedly demanded an FIR and proof while the violence was still ongoing.
Pastor Naik was allegedly dragged through village streets, beaten, paraded in slippers, and publicly humiliated. “Are there no CCTV cameras on those roads?” Udaya asked, adding that photographs showing the public parade were dismissed by the police as insufficient evidence.
The family claims they were repeatedly asked for medical proof, even as the pastor bore visible injuries—an approach they described as deeply insensitive and negligent.
What happened in Parjang village
According to Telegraph, Pastor Naik had travelled to Parjang village—a Hindu-majority village with only seven Christian families—to attend a routine prayer meeting with his wife, children, and other believers.
The gathering was disrupted when a mob of around 40 people, allegedly including members of the Bajrang Dal, forcibly entered the house.
“They started beating everyone inside,” Vandana told Maktoob. “Besides us, there were seven families praying. My children and I managed to escape through a narrow alley and ran to the police station.”
While Vandana sought help, Pastor Naik was seised by the mob. He was beaten with sticks, slapped repeatedly, smeared with red sindoor, garlanded with slippers, and paraded through the village as a spectacle.
He was later tied to a Hanuman temple, his hands bound behind a rod, and was forced to consume cow dung while being beaten and coerced into chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. Vandana stated that despite her repeated pleas, police reached the village nearly two hours later.
Even after police intervention, the mob reportedly did not immediately disperse.
Police conduct after the rescue
A social activist told Maktoob Media that after being rescued, Pastor Naik was made to sit at the police station for nearly an hour without medical assistance, despite bleeding and being visibly traumatised.
Police eventually registered a complaint regarding the assault. However, they also filed a counter FIR against Pastor Naik, accusing him of forced religious conversion—an allegation for which no evidence has been produced.
Such counter-cases, activists note, have increasingly become a tool to dilute accountability in communal violence cases involving Christians.
Christian families forced into hiding
Following the attack, the situation in Parjang deteriorated further. Vandana told Maktoob Media that all seven Christian families in the village have gone into hiding due to threats, social boycott, and fear of further violence.
“They are staying with relatives in different places. The villagers have threatened them and cut off all support,” she said.
Pastor Naik’s own family is currently staying in a safe house, unsure when—or if—they can safely return home.
A pattern of communal violence in Odisha
The Parjang assault forms part of a broader pattern of communal violence in Odisha. In recent weeks alone, a Muslim man was lynched by gau rakshaks for transporting cattle, while another Muslim youth in Mayurbhanj district was paraded naked and forced to chant religious slogans.
In Malkangiri district, Protestant Christians were attacked while returning from church in Kotamateru village, leaving eight injured. Christian leaders again pointed to Bajrang Dal members, while police initially attempted to downplay the violence as a “family dispute.”
Earlier this month, a 29-year-old nun was forcibly removed from a train by Bajrang Dal activists and detained for 18 hours on false allegations of trafficking and conversion.
Forgiveness without forgetting
Despite the trauma, Pastor Naik and his family say they are choosing peace over confrontation, drawing inspiration from Gladys Staines, the widow of Graham Staines, who publicly forgave her husband’s killers.
“We now choose the path of forgiveness,” Udaya Naik said. “But if the police initiate an inquiry on their own and punish the perpetrators, we would welcome it wholeheartedly.”
For now, the family says it no longer has the strength to continue pursuing justice through repeated appeals.
“This entire episode is a deeply painful reflection on the present state of our country and its people,” Udaya said.
As the perpetrators remain free and fear grips minority communities, the silence of the justice system continues to speak louder than any slogan—raising urgent questions about accountability, constitutional protections, and the rule of law in contemporary India.
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