A Christian fellowship in central India was violently attacked during a Sunday worship service on 8 June, leaving several believers injured and the congregation living in fear.
The incident occurred at the Penial Prayer Fellowship in Borsi village, located in Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh. A group of around 15 men stormed the church during the morning service, shouting Hindu nationalist slogans and carrying wooden rods. They destroyed church property, set fire to Bibles and Christian literature, and beat members of the congregation—including women and elderly people.
Pastor Wakish Sahu, who leads the church, said his father, 57-year-old Mannohan Sahu, suffered serious injuries and lost consciousness during the assault. “They beat him near the ear and he collapsed. They forced water into his mouth, likely fearing he had died,” Pastor Sahu explained.
Seven people, including Pastor Sahu’s mother, needed hospital treatment for their injuries.
This was the second attack on the church in just over a year. Since then, most members have stopped attending services out of fear. Only Pastor Sahu’s family—about 10 people—continue to meet for worship. “We won’t give in to fear,” he said.
Despite the brutality of the attack, police have not registered a formal complaint. Pastor Sahu filed a detailed report, but officers said they would “investigate first”. Three weeks later, no charges have been brought.
According to Pastor Sahu, local police had warned them previously not to allow anyone from nearby villages to attend the services. Police routinely checked who was present each Sunday. On the day of the attack, they had visited the church in the morning. When the violence broke out, officers returned but reportedly only told the attackers to stop—allowing them to leave without arrest.
Later, when church leaders went to the police station to file a complaint, the same group of assailants appeared to be waiting outside. Pastor Sahu said, “They followed our vehicle for about a mile before taking another road.”
The same group is also believed to have attacked a nearby Christian home on the same day.
At least three other churches in Dhamtari District were also targeted on 8 June. At Elohim Church, members of a Hindu nationalist group disrupted the service by singing loudly. In another case, a young man was assaulted outside a church. Women at the church were also affected by an unknown chemical spray.
Pastors from the area, including Raju Verghese, Alok Majumdar, and Rev Diamond Phillius, submitted a formal appeal on 1 July to the local collector, calling for protection and justice. Though the collector was unavailable at the time, he reportedly agreed to consider their request.
The congregation in Borsi has shrunk from about 50 to just 15 people. “People are terrified, and rightly so,” said Pastor Sahu. “Even believers in larger towns are hesitant to attend our services, fearing violence and police scrutiny.”
