Three Christian families in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district in India have alleged that they were assaulted and threatened by members of Bajrang Dal seeking to make them renounce Christianity, prompting police to step up security in the area, The Wire reported.
The women were allegedly beaten, their clothes torn and some of them stripped to the point of partial nudity. Minor girls were not spared either, the families alleged.
The families, who have lived in the Chandrakona area for nearly 30 years, told police they were attacked on October 18 and 19 and warned of serious consequences if they refused to give up their faith, News18 reported.
They were deeply traumatised and have since been fearful for their safety. On October 20, they lodged an FIR at Chandrakona police station naming 13 people associated with the alleged Hindutva group.
However, no one has been arrested yet.
Lakshmi Mondal and her sister-in-law, two victims, said the situation escalated sharply from October 16.
They said the group arrived in the village and threatened the families, asking them to abandon Christianity or face consequences. By October 18, they started physically assaulting them.
Lakshmi said she lost consciousness after being struck below her ear.
“Once I was partly conscious, I could feel someone removing my sari and tearing my blouse,” she told The Wire.
According to a police officer, a woman from one of the families allegedly lost consciousness after being assaulted, while a girl from another family was also allegedly attacked and threatened.
The families had converted to Christianity around 18 months ago, police said.
The officer said the identities of the accused could not be disclosed while the investigation was under way.
The families also alleged that the group threatened them against approaching the police.
All nine complainants were escorted to the police station, where their statements were recorded. They have since returned home, while police personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent further trouble.
Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged confrontation, including whether it stemmed from a local dispute, an old family disagreement or another issue.
“We are probing all possible angles,” the officer said, adding that police were not yet aware of the accused persons’ political affiliations, if any.
The incident comes weeks after the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), a Christian advocacy organisation in West Bengal, sought a meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over what it described as attacks on churches and prayer gatherings.
The organisation alleged that the state government was failing to ensure impartial investigations into such incidents. It also claimed that attacks, vandalism and alleged desecration of places of worship had become recurring concerns, with allegations of forced religious conversion often cited in such cases.
Meanwhile, a report by India Hate Lab (IHL) recorded at least 60 alleged hate-crime incidents targeting Christians in West Bengal during the first four months of the BJP-led government.
According to the report, South 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur accounted for most of the reported incidents.