Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district took disciplinary action against eight police personnel on Friday, October 24, after a violent assault on Christian preachers from a day before was captured on video. The footage, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, showed officers failing to intervene as a group of armed men attacked a vehicle carrying religious missionaries.
The assault took place on Thursday evening in Juthana, an area falling under the jurisdiction of Rajbagh police station. A Tempo Traveller carrying between 10 and 15 Christian preachers became the target of several young men who approached with wooden sticks and metal rods. The assailants, some concealing their identities with face coverings, proceeded to damage the vehicle and assault its occupants.
A Christian leader, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, provided additional details about the incident. He said the preachers had come from outside the region and had been invited by a local pastor to conduct a small gathering with village residents.
“As they were returning and reached Kathua District, a pastor invited them to a village for a small cottage meeting with some local residents. Unfortunately, while departing, the group was reportedly attacked by Hindu nationalist activists. Their vehicle sustained significant damage, and both men and women in the group were subjected to severe physical assault,” the leader said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Mohita Sharma ordered the immediate suspension of one sub-inspector and seven Special Police Officers following an internal inquiry into their conduct during the incident. The suspended personnel now face departmental proceedings for failing to discharge their duties appropriately.
The widely circulated footage reveals the sequence of events as they unfolded. Armed men can be seen approaching the vehicle while law enforcement personnel remain present but largely inactive. The attackers shattered glass windows and forced open doors to reach those seated inside. Distressed cries, including voices of women, punctuate the recording as violence escalates. One assailant physically strikes a passenger seated at the front while another calls out for additional male occupants of the vehicle.
According to SSP Sharma, local residents had extended an invitation to the group of preachers to visit the area. However, speculation began circulating within the community suggesting the visitors intended to pursue religious conversion activities amongst residents. These unverified claims appear to have provoked the violent response.
Law enforcement officials have initiated legal proceedings by registering a first information report. The charges invoke multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, addressing wrongful restraint, causing hurt, unlawful assembly violence, property damage, criminal intimidation and breach of peace. Additional sections of the Arms Act have been included in the complaint.
Investigators have identified one of the principal accused as Ravindra Singh, known locally by the alias Thela. According to local reports, Thela is a BJP leader who has a history of violence, having previously attacked a journalist in Kathua town. Police records indicate both Singh and his known associates face multiple pending criminal cases across the Jammu division. Authorities have taken one suspect into custody while search operations continue for others believed to have participated in the assault.
Speaking to the media, a police spokesperson emphasised the seriousness with which authorities view both the attack itself and the failure of duty by personnel present at the scene. Officials have committed to ensuring accountability through transparent investigative procedures. The rapid suspension of the eight officers signals what administrators describe as an uncompromising stance on professional negligence.
Security forces have increased their presence in the locality to discourage any further incidents and maintain communal calm. The episode has generated considerable discussion regarding police accountability and the need for institutional reforms to prevent similar lapses.
The Christian community represents a small fraction of Jammu and Kashmir’s demographic composition. Census data from 2011 recorded their population at less than one per cent of the total. However, some observers suggest this minority population has experienced growth in recent years relative to other faith groups in the region.
The region has witnessed similar communal friction in previous years. In 2018, residents of Nowshera village in Poonch district targeted four families following their adoption of Christianity. The violence extended to arson attacks on their place of worship, ultimately requiring government intervention through a dedicated police outpost for their protection.
In December 2011, Kashmir’s Sharia court, headed by Grand Mufti Bashir-ud-Din Ahmad, held proceedings against Reverend Chander Mani Khanna, Dutch missionary Jim Borst, and Christian worker Gayoor Messah, ordering their expulsion for alleged proselytisation after footage of baptisms circulated online. However, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani later opposed the order, acknowledging the contribution of Christian missionary schools to Kashmir’s education system.
In November 2006, Bashir Ahmad Tantray, a 50-year-old engineer who had converted to Christianity, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a bus stand in Baramulla district. No group claimed responsibility for the killing.
