Odisha Pastor Assaulted by Gau Rakshak Mob, Force-Fed Cow Dung and Made to Chant “Jai Shri Ram”

Key Points

In yet another episode of communal violence in Odisha, a Christian pastor was brutally assaulted, publicly humiliated, and coerced into consuming cow dung by a Hindutva mob in Parjang village of Dhenkanal district. The attack took place on 4 January 2026, but details emerged only later through reports by Maktoob Media and independent activists.

Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik had travelled to Parjang to attend a routine prayer meeting at a local house along with his wife Vandana and their children. Parjang is a Hindu majority village where only seven Christian families reside, making the community a small minority.

Speaking to Maktoob, Vandana, the pastor’s wife, alleged that the gathering was interrupted when around 40 people assembled outside the house and then forcibly entered the premises. The mob reportedly comprised members of the Bajrang Dal along with some local villagers.

“They started beating everyone inside the house. Besides us, there were seven families who were praying with us. My children and I managed to run out of the house and rushed through a narrow alley towards the nearest police station,” she elaborated.

While Vandana and the children fled to seek help, Pastor Naik was seized by the crowd. Naik told reporters that he was dragged outside and beaten on every part of his body with sticks and slaps. His face was smeared with red sindoor, and a garland made of slippers was hung around his neck. The mob then paraded him through the lanes of the village, turning the assault into a spectacle.

Vandana remained at the police station pleading for immediate intervention. She later alleged that officers initially refused to act, telling her there was no disturbance in the village. She insisted on accompanying them to the village. “It was only after nearly two hours that the police reached the village,” she said.

“My husband was tied to a Hanuman temple in the village. Both his hands were tied behind a rod. He was forced to consume cow dung and was bleeding badly. People were slapping him and forcing him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’,” Vandana recounted.

See Also: Attacks on Christmas Celebrations Spark Outrage as Bajrang Dal, VHP Members Target Churches and Prayer Meetings in Multiple Indian States

Despite the arrival of police, the mob did not immediately disperse. Naik was eventually freed and taken to the police station, but even there his ordeal did not end.

A social activist who spoke to Maktoob Media said Naik was made to sit at the police station for nearly an hour without receiving medical assistance. “By the time I reached there, he was sitting there numbly. He was barefoot, and his face still had sindoor on it. He was in a horrible condition,” the activist said.

The attack stemmed from allegations by the mob that Naik was conducting forced religious conversions in the village – an increasingly common claim used by Hindutva outfits and gau rakshaks in recent times to justify assaults on Christians. No evidence of coercion was presented in this case.

Police did register a complaint regarding the assault after repeated insistence from Vandana and local activists. However, they simultaneously filed a counter FIR against Naik, accusing him of forced conversion. Vandana told reporters that police initially tried to dilute the matter, citing counter allegations raised by the village sarpanch.

“We are both deeply traumatised. Naik has not been able to sleep since the incident. He has been taking medicines and is feeling a little better now. He has also recovered from his injuries,” Vandana told Maktoob Media.

Despite the brutality, Vandana expressed pride in her husband’s resistance. “I am so proud of him. He did not chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, no matter how much they beat him,” she said.

The mob reportedly issued further threats, warning that they would burn Naik’s family and their house, which is located a few kilometres away from Parjang. In the aftermath, the situation for the Christian families of Parjang has become precarious. Vandana said that all seven Christian families have gone into hiding due to fear of further violence.

“We spoke to them, and they are currently staying with relatives in different places. They have no support. The villagers have boycotted them and are threatening them,” she said. The family of Pastor Naik is now staying in a safe house with other community members, unsure when or whether they can return to their home.

The attack in Parjang has added to a series of assaults against Christians and Muslims reported in Odisha in recent months – as recently as 14 January 2026, a Muslim man was lynched in the state by gau rakshaks for transporting cattle. Soon after, another Muslim youth from Mayurbhanj district was beaten by a Hindutva gang, paraded naked in the street and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram.”

[DS]

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