Hindu nationalists beat pastor unconscious during worship service in India

Khandwa district in India, where the incident occurred. Photo: Morning Star News

On February 7, 2026, in the Indian village of Kotwara, more than 100 Hindu extremists carried out a violent attack on a home where believers had gathered for an evening worship service. As a result of the assault, 42-year-old Pastor Ramesh Barela was beaten unconscious and hospitalized in critical condition. The report was published by Morning Star News.

The attackers, armed with heavy wooden sticks, surrounded the building and broke down the locked doors. They immediately set upon the pastor, punching and kicking him. When parishioners tried to shield him, the assailants began beating the women and trampling children underfoot. According to reports, two young grandsons of the homeowner suffered serious internal chest injuries.

The extremists ransacked the house in search of printed Bibles, hoping to use them as “evidence” of forced conversion to Christianity. But the search proved fruitless, since the pastor uses a Bible app on his mobile phone. The believers themselves say the radicals act in a coordinated way through messaging groups, tracking down Christian leaders.

Instead of protecting the victims, the state police sided with the attackers. Based on a complaint filed by one of the rioters, Pastor Barela and two other Christians were charged with “illegal conversion to Christianity.” A court has already denied them bail, while most of the attackers are listed in the case merely as an “unidentified mob” and remain at large.

Human rights advocates say the hostile stance of the ruling party toward religious minorities is fueling a rise in violence across the country. In 2026, India ranked 12th on the global list of countries where Christians face the harshest persecution.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in India, a family of three was killed for converting to Christianity.

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