On March 22, 2025, police officers stormed into a Catholic Church in Juba village, Gajapati district of Odisha, and brutally beat up tribal women, children, and priests, according to a fact-finding team.
An eight-member team, including seven lawyers and a social activist, visited the area on 9th April to investigate the alleged police violence. They met with victims and documented accounts of beatings, molestation, and religious desecration.
According to the report, four tribal girls—two adults aged 18 and 20, and two minors—were preparing the church for Sunday mass when nearly 15 policemen entered the premises without a warrant. “The police broke cleaning equipment and entered the church in a violent manner. They showed no respect for the sacred space,” said the team.
The two young women were beaten with sticks and dragged to a police bus nearly 300 meters away. The two minors, terrified, ran to the priests’ residence for help. A 38-year-old woman from the Sabar tribal community, who worked as a cook, was also beaten. “They hit her in the face, tore her clothes and insulted her dignity,” the team said.
According to the report, even children in the nearby village were not spared. Some were in their mothers’ arms when the police loaded them into a bus and left them far from home, forcing them to walk back. Mobile phones were taken from the women and not returned.
Two priests, Fr. JG and Fr. DN, were assaulted when they tried to help the girls. “They were dragged in different directions, beaten, and falsely accused of being ‘Pakistanis’ who convert people,” said the report. Fr. DN suffered a fractured shoulder and lost consciousness at one point. It was supposed to be his birthday.
During the attack, the police reportedly looted ₹40,000 from the priests’ residence and drank water from the presbytery as if they had come to raid, not to serve justice. “This was not just an act of violence. It was an act of hate, full of disrespect for the tribal and Christian community,” the report read.
One grieving family was also targeted. A widow, MM, aged 62, and her 17-year-old daughter RM were mourning the death of her husband that morning. “They were beaten and dragged to a bus despite being in mourning,” the team said. “How can anyone justify beating a grieving mother and her child?”
The team also found that the police destroyed household items, motorcycles, and food supplies. Religious icons of Jesus and Mary were desecrated. “The attack clearly targeted Christians and tribals. It violated multiple laws and basic human dignity.”
According to the team, Gajapati is a poor district with a large tribal and Christian population. The people here are already disadvantaged. “What happened on March 22 is a shameful act of police brutality. The protectors became the perpetrators,” the report said.
Fr. DN remains in shock and trauma. The team could not even speak to him. “The fear is visible among children, women, and even priests. This is the first time such an attack has been recorded on Catholic priests in Odisha,” the report states.
So far, there have been no arrests, no acknowledgments of complaints, and no media coverage of the incident. “The silence from authorities and society is equally painful,” the report said.
The team urged the state government to identify and punish those responsible. “This cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. The rule of law must apply to everyone—even the police,” the team said.
