A young Christian woman in Chhattisgarh was raped and her mother left critically injured after relatives attacked them because of their faith, according to local reports.
The assault took place on 15 July in Kondagaon District when three men confronted the 20-year-old woman, her 18-year-old sister, and their mother while they were working on family farmland. The attackers, who are close relatives, ordered them to stop cultivating the land.
When the victim’s mother insisted the land rightfully belonged to her late husband, a violent dispute broke out. The men reportedly struck her repeatedly with farming tools, leaving her unconscious and severely wounded.
The attackers then dragged the young woman to their nearby house, where she was raped. Despite her cries for help, neighbours did not intervene. The victim managed to escape with her sister and fled to a local police station.
Police registered a case under multiple charges, including gang rape, attempted murder, and criminal intimidation. One suspect was arrested immediately, and further arrests followed the next day.
The victim’s mother, who sustained life-threatening injuries including fractured ribs and damage to internal organs, was transferred through several hospitals before receiving emergency surgery in Raipur. Doctors initially gave little hope for her survival, but she has since begun to recover slowly.
Local political leader Narendra Bhavani condemned the attack, stating that the dispute arose only because the family had converted to Christianity six years ago. He has demanded compensation, protection, and land rights for the family.
The family has continued to practise their Christian faith despite facing years of hostility from relatives. The daughter caring for her injured mother said, “We refused to give up our faith, and now they have gone so far as to attack my mother and violate me.”
The case highlights the ongoing dangers faced by Christians in rural India, where conversion often provokes hostility from relatives and neighbours.
Source: Morning Star News
