Pastors humiliated and arrested in Orissa

A group of pastors who were engaged in evangelism and distribution of Gospel tracts were allegedly threatened and later arrested by the police on Tuesday, October 23 in Jagatsingpur district of Orissa.

Pran Ranjan Mali, Santhosh Kumar Majhi, Jayson Badra and Roshan Lima were the pastors accused and manhandled by the Hindu fanatics belonging to the saffron group.

The pastors imprisoned, have been preaching the gospel and spreading the good news in Orissa from several years. It was during one of their outreach and door to door free distribution of gospel tracts that a group of 15 fanatics seethed with anger halted and abused them.

They along with some of the village members were preparing to perform tonsuring and other Hindu rituals to intentionally humiliate the Christians.

Later the pastors were handed over to the police and falsely charged with forcible conversion violating OFRA ACT (Orissa Freedom of Religion Act).

Even the police have threatened the pastors on the same ground and asserted that, they will be handed over to the court.

Meanwhile, Global Council of Indian Christians strongly denounced the persecution against the pastors.