By Purushottam Nayak
Kandhamal, March 9, 2025: Christians in India have mourned the son of the Moderator of the Church of North India who was killed while opposing rape.
Bibash Nayak, son of Bishop Bijay Nayak Church, a native of Odisha, was among three men who were thrown into a canal on March 6 night by a group of men near a lake in Hampi, a city some 345 km northwest of Bengaluru, the Karnataka capital.
The three men opposed the sexual assault of their two women companions — an Israeli tourist and a local homestay operator.
While his two friends – a US citizen named Daniel and Pankaj from Maharashtra — managed to swim to safety, Nayak drowned in the lake. His body was recovered by the Karnataka police on March 8.
The CNI Synod’s Facebook page expressed “profound sadness and deep grief” over the death of Bibhas Nayak “the beloved son” of its moderator and the bishop of Agra diocese.
“We, as the Church of North India family, express our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the Most Revd. B. K. Nayak, his wife, and the entire family. May the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding comfort them in this season of sorrow and loss,” the synod’s condolence message said.
It described the young Nayak as “a God-fearing, humble, and dedicated young man, known for his unwavering faith in Christ and his commitment to the Church. He touched the lives of many with his gentle spirit, kindness, and compassionate heart. His sudden demise has left an immense void in the hearts of his family, friends, and the church community.”
The synod also said the funeral service was expected on March 10 in the Phulbani CNI diocese of Odisha.
People in Odisha too mourned the death.
“It is sad news for the minority Christians of Odisha,” said Bipra Charan Nayak (no relation), a Christian leader in Kandhamal district.
He said the death of their leader’s only son has evoked strong emotions in the Odisha Christians. “We express our condolences and support to Bishop Nayak and the bereaved family,” he added.
Mamata Pradhan, a woman resident of Terabadi, said they are “pained and wounded with the news of death of our son. May his soul rest in peace.”
Nayak, 30, was a native of Terabdi, a Christian village under Daringbadi block in Odisha’s Kandhamal district.
He worked in a hospital in New Delhi while his parents has stayed in Agra for the past several years.
Reverend Bijay Nayak became the bishop of the Church of North India’s Phulbani diocese in 2005.
Meanwhile Hampi police superintendent Ram Arasiddi told reporters that they have arrested two of the men accused of the attack and an investigation is ongoing. Police believe the men followed the group.
According to one of the women, her five-member group was stargazing near a temple when three men on a motorcycle asked them where they could get petrol.
As a man in her group gave them directions, the motorcyclists demanded 100 rupees from the tourists.
“Since the homestay operator did not know them, she told them they had no money,” police said.
A male tourist gave them 20 rupees, but the bikers argued with the group and pushed the three men into the Tungabhadra River canal before raping the two women.
A case has been registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station under sections related to extortion, robbery, gang rape and attempted murder.
The victims received medical treatment at a government hospital, the police said.
Hampi is home to numerous ruins and temples from the Vijayanagara Empire. It was declared as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986.