By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, April 5, 2026: A recent “brutal attack” by police on Catholics, including two priests, in Odisha was unfortunate and unjustified, says an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
“We condemn the attack. Such incidents should never happen to any person, not just priests,” Father Robinson Rodrigues, the conference spokesperson, told Matters India on April 5.
He demanded a thorough investigation into the March 22 incident at the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Juba under Berhampur diocese in the eastern Indian state. “We demand stringent action against the erring policemen,” Father Rodrigues demanded.
The news about the incident came to limelight after more than ten days when Samartha News, an Odia channel, published an interview with parish priest Father Joshi George, who was recuperating from the police attack.
The priest, a native of Kerala, narrated that a group of police officers suddenly entered the church premises and began beating whoever they found in the church and presbytery.
The police team led by Joshna Roy first beat a few girls who were cleaning the church to prepare for the next day’s Sunday Mass. Three girls ran to the presbytery, calling for help.
When Father George and his assistant Father Dayanand Nayak, an Odia native, came out of their rooms, the police thrashed them.
The news channel reported that the police dragged the priests through the streets, abused and humiliated them.
The police accused the priest of being Pakistanis. “You have come here to convert people to Christianity and are spreading bad teachings among them,” the police officer reportedly shouted.
The priests denied the allegations, stating that they have not converted anyone but only provided education to the poor.
The police team confiscated Father George’s mobile phone, telling him that they would return it in two days.
They sat in the dining room, drank water, entered the priests’ bedrooms, and looted 40,000 rupees from Father George’s room, the channel reported.
The worst affected in the attack was Father Nayak, who was celebrating his birthday that day.
Father George told the channel that they wanted to take Nayak to the hospital that evening, “but we could not, out of fear.”
The next day, they took Father Nayak to the Berhampur Medical College Hospital where an X-ray report confirmed fracture on Father Nayak’s shoulder. Father George said the attack occurred on Father Nayak’s birthday.
“They have falsely accused us, insulted us with cruel and filthy language, and attacked us physically and mentally,” Father George said. He said they had never expected such treatment from police.
According to madhyamasyndicate.com, the police had come to Juba village March 21 night looking for marijuana cultivators. They reportedly unleashed terror in the village before coming to the Catholic church around noon the following day.
The website said the authorities refused to take any action when the Church people reported the matter to them.
Odisha is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Father Rodrigues lamented that the incident has created distrust among police and common people. “Police are expected to ensure security and safety of people,” he asserted.
Why is no action taken against the politicians who defect (isn’t this not conversion?) from one political party to another? The people atleast convert out of their own free will whereas the politicians defect to save their skin from the IB raids.
We aren’t safe in our own land! who’s doing this atrocities. the one’s who’s to protect the citizens. where are the law makers, law protecters. They’re are persecuting the innocent. They should be given right punishment.