Two young Christian women, believed to be minors, were allegedly slapped repeatedly by a man who accused them of attempting religious conversion in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district.
The incident reportedly took place last month near the Dr BR Ambedkar statue in Almasguda, an area under the jurisdiction of Meerpet Police Station. A video of the confrontation surfaced on social media on November 3, drawing criticism over the alleged assault.
According to reports, a group of men accused the women of trying to convert children by offering them chocolates. The women denied the allegations and said they had come to the area to visit their aunt.
In the video, one of the women can be heard pleading with the men to let them go, saying, “Uncle, please let me go. I am here to visit an aunt.”
A man is heard responding, “You can only convert Hindus, not Christians. Check their bags for books.” He then appears to try to snatch their bags and uses abusive language against the women, including calling them prostitutes.
The video was shared by the X account Christian Voice, which condemned the alleged assault and called for legal action against those responsible.
“We strongly condemn this incident and demand justice for the victim. Violence and intimidation on the basis of their faith must not be tolerated,” the account said.
BRS MLA condemns assault, seeks police action
Former Telangana minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy also condemned the incident, urging the police to identify those responsible and take legal action.
In a post on X on November 3, she described the video as deeply distressing and said allegations concerning religious conversion should be addressed through legal channels rather than physical violence.
“If anyone has objections regarding matters of religious freedom, they should raise them through legal channels; resorting to physical violence against women is, under no circumstances, justifiable,” she said.
Reddy called on the Telangana Police to identify the alleged perpetrators, ensure the safety of the women and take appropriate action.
Police verifying video, no complaint filed
Meerpet Police confirmed that the incident had taken place but said no formal complaint had been filed as of November 3.
Police said they were examining the video and verifying the circumstances surrounding the incident. Station House Officer B. Shoban said the police could consider taking action on their own if required.
