ICC Note:

Three Christians, including a pastor and two church members, were assaulted by a group of unidentified men while distributing Christian literature in Kharghar last Friday. According to reports, the Christians were severely beaten when the assailants objected to their distribution of literature. Attacks on Christians and their places of worship have skyrocketed since 2014, when the Hindu nationalists BJP took power in the federal government. Many claim that the ruling party’s Hindu nationalist platform and the government’s inability or unwillingness to confront religious intolerance are major contributing factors to the rise in attacks on Christians. 

9/19/2016 India (Times of India) – A pastor and two members of a church were attacked by a group of men who objected to their distributing printed pamphlets in Kharghar and in Taloja on Friday.

One of those who were attacked is a woman who has claimed she was verbally and physically abused by the men. Another complainant identified only as Sachin has stated that he sustained severe injuries after he was kicked and punched. Sachin has been admitted to a hospital.

The third person, Pastor Prashant Bhatnagar (45), was allegedly abducted in a car and taken to an isolated place near Taloja prison where they allegedly pointed a firearm and threatened to kill by setting him ablaze if he distributed the literature.

Former vice-chairman of Maharashtra Minorities Commission, Abraham Mathai, said there was a 24-hour delay in registering a criminal offence at Kharghar police station.

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