A fact-finding team uncovered disturbing details of police brutality against tribal Christians in Odisha’s Gajapati district, where law enforcement officials allegedly assaulted women, children, and Catholic priests during a violent raid on 22 March 2025. The team released the comprehensive report on April 13 after completing their investigation earlier this month.
The eight-member team, comprising seven advocates and a social activist, visited Juba village in Mohana block on 9 April to investigate reports of police violence. According to their findings, what began as a police operation targeting alleged marijuana cultivation in a nearby village escalated into targeted violence against tribal Christians at the Juba Catholic Church.
Around 1.30 pm on March 22, approximately 15 police personnel stormed the Catholic Church where four young Kondh tribal women - two adults aged 18 and 20, and two 12-year-old girls - were preparing for Sunday services. The police entered without a warrant and reportedly desecrated the sacred space. Officers beat the two young women with sticks inside the church and dragged them nearly 300 metres to a police bus while abusing them throughout. The minor girls fled to the church presbytery seeking help from priests.
According to the report, two male officers allegedly assaulted a 38-year-old tribal cook who emerged upon hearing the commotion. They “caught hold of her neck, gave a strong blow to her face, and tore her kurta, outraging her modesty.”
Police also brutally attacked two Catholic priests who came to the aid of the women and children. Officers reportedly dragged Fr JG, 56, who has worked with tribal and Dalit communities for 40 years, and Fr DN, a newly ordained local priest, 300-400 metres to police buses while continuously beating them. Fr DN suffered a fractured shoulder blade and fainted during the assault. The report states officers accused the priests of being “Pakistanis” and converting local people. Police officers also allegedly entered the priests’ residence and stole ₹40,000 in cash.
Speaking to Christian Today, Ajaya Kumar Singh, a member of the fact-finding team, expressed grave concern about the incident: “This is the first time that Catholic priests are being targeted, beaten and paraded while showering lathis and abuses by the police in Odisha’s known history. It speaks for itself - the blatant violations of Articles 21, 25 and 29 of the Indian constitution.”
In a particularly disturbing incident, a 62-year-old woman identified as MM, who had buried her husband just hours earlier, was beaten along with her 17-year-old daughter while they were in mourning. “The police didn’t care that this family had just buried their beloved one,” the report notes.
The violence extended beyond physical assaults to property damage. According to victim testimonies, police destroyed approximately 20 motorcycles, television sets, and food supplies including rice, paddy, chickens, and eggs. The report suggests deliberate targeting of Christians, noting that “police broke and desecrated statues of Jesus and Mary.”
The fact-finding team has highlighted multiple violations of constitutional rights and legal protections, including violations of Article 25 (Right to Freedom of Religion), Section 298 of BNSS, 2023 (Injuring or defiling a place of worship), POCSO Act, 2012 (as minors were involved), Articles 15(3) and 15(4) (Protection of women and tribal communities), and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Despite the severity of the allegations, no formal action has been taken against the accused police personnel more than 20 days after the incident. The priests have filed complaints at Mohana police station and with the Superintendent of Police, Gajapati, but have received no acknowledgement, according to the report.
The fact-finding team has called for immediate action against “criminal elements among the police having communal and caste bias.” Their recommendations include strict application of relevant laws, implementation of community policing with diverse recruitment, mandatory human rights training for law enforcement, development programmes for the region, and trust-building measures between law enforcement and community leaders.
Gajapati district, ranked 27th out of 30 districts on the Human Development Index in Odisha, has a 50% tribal population and is officially recognised as a minority-concentrated district with 38% Christians. The Mohana block, where the incident occurred, has just a 37.11% female literacy rate, with 93% of residents living in rural areas.
The report concludes that its aim is “to document and make public these incidents in order to avoid their repetition and to bring about peace and harmony.”
Reporting based on the findings of Odisha Lawyers Forum fact-finding team comprising Adv Clara D’Souza, Gitanjali Senapati, Thomas EA, Kulakant Dandasena, Sujata Jena, Anjali Nayak, Ajaya Kumar Singh, and Subal Nayak.
