Conversion row: 4 detained for mob attack on Odhisa pastor in Dhenkanal; wife alleges forced him to drink drain water

BHUBANESWAR: More than two weeks after a pastor was allegedly assaulted and publicly humiliated on allegations of forced religious conversion in Dhenkanal district, police on Wednesday detained four persons.

Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar said the suspects were being interrogated and added that "further inquiry into the matter is on," without elaborating. In a complaint submitted to the superintendent of police on Jan 13, the pastor's wife alleged inaction by local police in connection with the Jan 4 incident, in which a mob of 15-20 people allegedly assaulted her husband, smeared sindoor on his face, garlanded him with footwear and paraded him through the village. She further alleged that the group forced him to drink drain water and bow before a temple against his will, while accusing him of involvement in forced religious conversion.According to the complaint, the pastor had gone to a local resident's house on Jan 4 after being invited to offer prayers for his good health.While the prayers were underway, the mob allegedly arrived armed with sticks, assaulted him and subjected him to public humiliation.

The accusations of forced conversion were termed baseless by the complainant, who also alleged that police reached the spot much later. The pastor's wife told police that although she had lodged a complaint at Parjang police station on the day of the incident, no action followed for several days, prompting her and the victim to approach the SP. An FIR was subsequently registered on Jan 13. The incident triggered sharp political reactions. Congress, in a post on X, termed the episode "a new low" and alleged that the victim was compelled to eat cow dung.

However, SP Sonkar said there was no allegation of cow dung being fed to the man. BJD also described the incident as unfortunate. Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said it was not reflective of Odia Asmita and warned that such incidents in a peaceful state like Odisha were damaging its image and amounted to serious human rights violations. He urged the double-engine government to act promptly. Responding, BJP state media in-charge Sujit Das accused the opposition of politicising the issue.

"Law enforcement agencies will act as per law, without fear or favour. They should be allowed to work without such politicization," he said. The Rashtriya Christian Morcha, Odisha unit, also demanded immediate action against the accused. Its general secretary Bishop Pallav Lima alleged that Christians were being targeted on false charges of conversion and even prayer services were being misrepresented as conversion activities.