Pastor and wife 'brutally' beaten in Karnataka

A pastor and his wife was brutally beaten and falsely charged of forceful conversion by a mob of suspected Bajrang Dal men in Karnataka.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that Pastor H T Manjunath (26) and his wife Saraswati (24) was Dec. 14 "viciously attacked by a mob of 10-15 men who barged into their house and falsely blamed them of forced conversion."

"Sister Sarswathi sustained severe injuries from the beating and she is bleeding from the lacerations," GCIC said adding, "She was denied medical help under the instruction of the anti-Christian elements."

Saraswati was later lodged in Mysore jail under section 295A and 298 while her husband Pastor Manjunath in KR Nagar jail.

GCIC narrated that Pastor Manjunath was arrested while visiting the KR Nagar Police Station to lodge a complaint against the attackers.

"Instead of taking action against the criminals involved, an FIR was registered against the pastor and his newly-wedded wife," GCIC said.

The police also sealed the pastor's house, the Bangalore-based group reported.

Meanwhile, after the intervention of GCIC, both the victims were released on bail yesterday, Dec. 18.

In a related incident, police in Mandya district of Karnataka, arrested a believer for praying for his sick friend at a government hospital.

Bhasker was praying for his friend at a hospital when RSS activists caught hold of him and beat him on allegations of conversion.

The Christian has been charged under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and is lodged in Mandya Jail.