Communal tensions in Odisha resurface after a pastor assault in Dhenkanal, with police detaining nine people as allegations and investigations continue
OdishaPlus Bureau
Eighteen days following the assault of a pastor in the Parjang Police Station area of Dhenkanal, Odisha, and just hours after the wife’s complaint sparked national outrage among leaders, the Odisha Police announced on Thursday that nine individuals have been detained and are currently under interrogation.
Authorities reported that they only became aware of the incident that occurred on January 4 after the wife alleged that pastor Bipin Naik was attacked by a mob, purportedly consisting of members of the Bajrang Dal, who smeared vermillion on him, paraded him with a garland made of shoes, and forced him to bow before a temple due to accusations of conversion.
Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar acknowledged that they are looking into these allegations, but stated that other claims—specifically that Naik was made to drink water from a drain and was force-fed cow dung—are inaccurate. “These details were not included in the complaint, nor have we discovered any evidence to support this,” Sonkar remarked.
Over the past 19 months, several towns in Odisha have experienced curfews and Internet shutdowns due to communal violence, including the lynching of Bengali-speaking Muslims. In the majority of these incidents, the perpetrators have been affiliated with right-wing Hindu organizations.