Indian priest working among poor badly beaten in Nepal

An Indian Catholic priest working among poor Nepali children in Kathmandu was on Monday attacked by a group of youths armed with knives and screwdrivers.

According to sources, Father Sanjay Ekka was attacked by a group of seven youths led by an expelled student of the Loyola Students' Home in Baniyatar where the 40-year-old priest was teaching.

The Jesuit-run home was established for the poor boys of the Tamang community who have been victims of trafficking.

Among the attackers, six wore masks while the last one identified as Minesh Tamang bared his face and was avenging his expel from the institution after alleged 'misconduct' reported by the priest.

Fr Ekka has sustained injuries on his hip and head and also has his left arm deeply slashed. He is now being treated in Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.

Police said the neighbors managed to catch one of the fugitives, a 13-year-old boy who on Wednesday was produced before the court. The boy has identified the other culprits who have apparently gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, Ekka who hails from Jaspur village in Uttarakhand, according to the IANS, is badly shaken by the incident.

The priest who has been in charge of the boys hostel since 2005 does not want to return to Baniyatar. "I tried to help somebody who needed help and this is how I was treated," he mourned.

The incident has deeply anguished the Christian community who is yet to let slip from memory the May 23 bomb blast in one of the largest church in Nepal. At least 400 Christians were attending the service at Assumption Church in Dhobighat when the blast went off.

In addition, last year an extremist group had brutally murdered an Indian priest Fr. John Prakash who was the principal of Don Bosco Christian school in Sirsiya, Morang district. He was shot dead by five masked men at his residence.