Four Detained After Mob Assault on Priest in Odisha, Allegedly Over Forced Conversion Claims

Bhubaneswar: Police in Dhenkanal, Odisha, have taken four individuals into custody in connection with a mob attack on a local priest. The incident reportedly occurred on January 4, when the priest was conducting a prayer session at a private residence.

According to the complaint filed by the priest’s wife, a crowd of 15–20 people attacked her husband, accusing him of forced religious conversion. During the assault, the priest was paraded through the village with vermilion smeared on his face and forced to wear a garland of shoes. The mob allegedly made him drink sewage water and bow in a temple as part of the attack.

The priest’s wife stated that her husband had been invited to the house to offer prayers for the health of the residents, and denied all claims of forced conversion. She also alleged that local police arrived late at the scene and took no immediate action. Though she lodged a complaint at Parjang Police Station on January 4, the FIR was only registered on January 13 after she escalated the matter to the Superintendent of Police.

SP Abhinav Sonkar confirmed that four suspects are currently being questioned and further investigations are underway.

The incident has drawn political reactions. The Congress party condemned the attack on social media, describing it as “a new low,” and claimed that the priest was also forced to consume cow dung—a claim denied by the SP. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty called the incident “regrettable” and stated that such acts tarnish the image of Odisha, urging immediate action. BJP state media in-charge Sujeet Das accused the opposition of politicizing the matter, emphasizing that law enforcement agencies should act impartially and without interference.

The Odisha unit of the National Christian Forum has demanded prompt action against the accused. Secretary-General Bishop Pallav Lima stated that Christians are being targeted based on false forced conversion allegations, and prayer services are being misrepresented as conversion activities.

The attack occurred in Parjang, approximately 120 km northwest of Bhubaneswar, and remains under police investigation.