Panic-stricken pastor dies after he falls into well

In a shocking incident, a 25-year-old pastor died after he fell in an open well while fleeing in panic from berserk Hindu fundamentalists in Betul, Madhya Pradesh.

Pastor Amit Gilbert was attending a convention at Saliya village near Betul town when a group of 8 - 10 persons stormed the meet and started beating the Christians with their lathis.

The April 15-17 crusade gathered over 400 Christians and was organised by the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

As the attackers disrupted the meeting, people in fright started running off in different directions to escape the attack.

"After realizing that Pastor Gilbert was lost, a search team was formed and they found his dead body in the well. A large section of villagers believe Gilbert was forcefully thrown into the well," the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) reported.

Gilbert had recently completed his Master of Divinity (M. Div) from Central India Theological Seminary, Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh. His funeral took place in his hometown Raipur.

Three others, including a woman, were injured during the attack. A silent march was taken Sunday to protest against the incident.

EFI strongly condemned the attack and said it grossly violated the Constitution that guarantees Freedom of Religion.