An Odisha pastor who was allegedly assaulted and publicly humiliated by a mob earlier this month has now been asked to vacate the house where he lived for eight years, leaving his family fearful and displaced.
Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik was attacked on January 4 in Kandarsinga village under Parjang police station in Dhenkanal district. According to the FIR, a group of 15 to 20 men forcibly entered the house where Naik had gone to offer prayers and assaulted him.
The complaint said the pastor was beaten, garlanded with footwear, paraded through the village, forced to drink dirty water and made to bow before a temple against his will. The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by Naik’s wife.
Since the incident, Naik has been staying in his native village in Angul district, afraid to return. His family said the situation worsened when the landlord asked them to vacate their rented home within a week.
“The owner of the house, where my brother lived for eight years without any problem, asked us to leave, and we did,” Naik’s elder brother Udaynath James told the Indian Express.
“Is it a sin to practise one’s own faith? Isn’t it a fundamental right in this country?”James said his brother was invited by a villager to pray for his health and rejected allegations of forced religious conversion.
“He has been going there for the last two years only to offer prayers. These accusations are false and meant to weaken the case,” he said.
The family alleged that the local police did not act promptly despite the seriousness of the incident. According to the complaint, Naik’s wife reached the police station within half an hour of the assault, but no immediate action was taken.
“Despite the seriousness of the offence, the police refused to register the FIR. By the time officers reached the spot, my husband had already suffered severe physical and mental torture,” the complaint stated.
The FIR was registered only after the family approached the Superintendent of Police. Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar said an explanation had been sought from the inspector in charge of Parjang police station. “Necessary steps will be taken,” he said, adding that nine people have been detained so far.
The incident has triggered strong political reactions across the country.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the assault, calling it “a deeply inhuman act” and said it reflected a growing atmosphere of violence and intolerance.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also condemned the attack, calling it a serious violation of constitutional rights and urging swift action against those responsible.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking immediate arrests and protection for the pastor and his family.
