18

Apr

Violent police assault on Catholic priests in Odisha Condemned

image

By Our Correspondent

New Delhi | Friday | 18 April 2025

According to a report by Matters India, the attack took place on March 22 last at the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Juba village, under the Berhampur diocese in eastern Odisha. The incident gained public attention over ten days later, following a televised interview with one of the victims, parish priest Father Joshi George, aired by Odia news outlet Samartha News.

“We condemn the attack. Such incidents should never happen to any person, not just priests,” said Father Robinson Rodrigues, spokesperson for the CBCI. “We demand a thorough investigation and stringent action against the erring policemen.”

According to Father George, a native of Kerala, the assault began when a police team led by officer Joshna Roy entered the church premises without warning. The officers allegedly beat three young girls who were cleaning the church in preparation for Sunday Mass. When Father George and his assistant, Father Dayanand Nayak, came out to intervene, they were also physically attacked.

The priests were allegedly dragged through the streets, verbally abused, and humiliated in public. According to Ucanews.com, the police accused the priests of being involved in converting the Hindu villagers to Christianity.

“We have not converted anyone. We only provide education to the poor,” Father George stated in his interview.

The assault left Father Nayak, an Odisha native, with a fractured shoulder. He was reportedly taken to Berhampur Medical College Hospital the following day after the priests initially feared leaving the premises due to safety concerns. The incident coincided with Father Nayak’s birthday.

Article at a Glance
On March 22, an attack occurred at the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Juba village, Odisha, where police allegedly assaulted parish priest Father Joshi George and his assistant, Father Dayanand Nayak, while they were intervening to protect young girls cleaning the church.
The incident, which gained attention after a televised interview with Father George, involved police brutality, public humiliation, and accusations of forced conversions to Christianity, which the priests denied. Father Nayak sustained a fractured shoulder, and the police reportedly looted ₹40,000 and confiscated personal belongings.
The attack has sparked outrage among Church leaders and rights activists, with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) demanding a thorough investigation and accountability for the police involved. The incident has heightened distrust between the police and the community, raising concerns about safety under the current BJP government.

In addition to physical abuse, the police are accused of looting ₹40,000 from Father George’s room, confiscating his mobile phone, and invading the priests’ private quarters.

Reports from Madhyama Syndicate suggest that the police had entered Juba village the night before the incident, allegedly searching for marijuana cultivators. Residents claim the officers created panic throughout the village before turning their attention to the church the next day.

Attempts to report the matter to local authorities were allegedly ignored, prompting further criticism from Church leaders and rights activists.

Odisha is currently governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party. Commenting on the broader implications, Father Rodrigues said, “This incident has created deep distrust between the police and the common people. Police are expected to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.”

The CBCI has called for immediate government intervention and legal accountability for those involved in the attack.

**************

  • Share:

About Us

We must explain to you how all seds this mistakens idea off denouncing pleasures and praising pain was born and I will give you a completed accounts..

Contact Us

Contact Info

  • 70, Gyan Khand- 4, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Uttar Pradesh.
  • +91-9810533682
  • info@mediamap.co.in
  • Week Days: 09.00 to 18.00 Sunday: Closed