ICC Note:

A Christian pastor in India’s Andhra Pradesh state was reportedly beaten to death by hundreds of Maoist rebels last week. According to reports, the rebels attacked and killed the pastor because they accused him of being a police informer. Christians in India’s rural areas are often caught between police forces and Maoist rebels. Often working among tribals, Christian pastors are forced to come into contact with areas affected by the Maoists. This, at times, causes police to suspect the pastors of working with the Maoists and can be used as an excuse to harass and arrest pastors. 

8/4/2016 India (Christian Post) – A Christian pastor in India was reportedly beaten to death in the east Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh state by hundreds of Maoist rebels who thought he was a police informer.

Fides News Agency reported that Pastor Yohan Maraiah was killed on July 29 by Maoists, who left a note at the murder scene accusing him of being “a police informer” and “accumulating disproportionate wealth exploiting Tribals.”

Sajan K George, chairman of the Global Council of Indian Christians, said this was not the first time the pastor had been targeted.

“He suffered several attacks and had his church torched more than once. However, he remained strong in his unswerving faith in Jesus Christ,” George said.

According to police reports, at least 100 militants affiliated with Naxalite, which is India’s form of Communism, came to the village to take the pastor away. They dragged him to a nearby forest where they mercilessly beat him to death, and left him on the outskirts of the village.

The Maoist insurgency, a Communist faction, seeks to overthrow the government in India through violent means. BBC News reported back in July that 10 paramilitary soldiers in Bihar state were killed in clashes with Maoist rebels, with the insurgents carving out strongholds in a number of states across the country.

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