By Matters India Reporter
Kolkata, August 19, 2026: A violent mob attack on Pastor Joy Sutradhar, a veteran Christian leader serving Satgachia in Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal for over two decades, has left his family traumatized and the local community shaken.
According to reports, a group of 20–25 miscreants stormed into the pastor’s residence, August 18, 2026, ordering his family to vacate immediately.
When Pastor Joy resisted, he was subjected to a brutal assault, collapsing under the thrashing. His daughter’s attempt to record the incident was thwarted with threats.
Local sources note that Pastor Joy has faced repeated intimidation since the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, with miscreants issuing regular threats.
Following the attack, he fled to Memari Police Station, but was too terrified to lodge a formal complaint.
The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba or Bengal Christian Council ((BCP) Legal Cell intervened swiftly, drafting and dispatching a police complaint via email to the District Superintendent of Police and Memari Police Station.
Advocates assured the pastor of legal support and advised immediate medical treatment to document injuries for evidence.
At present, Pastor Joy, his wife, and daughter remain in extreme fear and insecurity, reluctant to return home without protection.
Speaking on behalf of BCP, founding secretary Herod Mullick condemned the incident: “This barbaric attack is not just on one pastor but on the entire Christian community’s right to live and serve in peace. We demand immediate police action and protection for Pastor Joy and his family.”
BCP has appealed to the wider Christian community to uphold the family in prayer, seeking strength and safety during this crisis.
(Photo supplied)
This is the porivortan that Bengal voted for. Shame.
One of the major problems in these reported persecution of Christian pastors is that Christians have more than 500 denominations. New pastors, especially bishops are springing up in rural areas or small towns. We have several examples of bishops (non-Catholic) who have been mushrooming in West Bengal (and in South India) without going through the conventional due process of priestly education in seminaries. They just procure some certificates themselves, buy colourful robes and large ornate crosses from the market and flaunt them in public I know at least two such cases. One flaunts himself as a bishop and even attends ecumenical gatherings called by Catholic priests and the other is a smart alec who used to work in a leading NGO, has gone to the USA leaving behind his wife and small daughter, and desperately trying to get his USA stay papers regularised, ny even calling himself a pastor of a non-descript group. When the US authorities asked him to provide verifiable internet links of his qualification, he could not! Now he is trying out the option of religious persecution of Christians in India! His wife tried twice to join him on a tourist visa but she failed in the interview as she couldn’t prove rhat she would come back to India. How can the ordinary faithful, especially non-Christians, make out whether they are genuine or fake? These so-called evangelists are procuring funda from unknown sources, buying landed properties in West Bengal and setting up their own communities. Preaching by these so-called pastors and bishops (who also have families and personal properties) is one of the causes of irritation to both Christian and non-Christian communities. One way would be to make it compulsory for these upstart religious gurus to carry their credentials and produce them on demand. Mere wearing of colourful robes (for bishops) to and white-collars (pastors/priests) won’t do. Can BCP vouch the genuineness of the pastors (Mizo and others) whose cases it has taken up or pursuing? Can it produce their credentials?
Christians have more than 500 denominations. New pastors, especially bishops are springing up in rural areas or small towns. We have several examples of bishops (non-Catholic) who have been mushrooming in West Bengal (and in South India) without going through proper priestly education and due process in seminaries. They nust procure colourful robes and large ornate crosses from the market and flaunt them in public. How can the ordinary faithful, especially non-Christians, make out whether they are genuine or fake? These so-called evangelists are procuring funda from unknown sources, buying landed properties in West Bengal and setting up their own communities. Preaching by these so-called pastors and bishops (who also have families and personal properties) is one of the causes of irritation to both Christian and non-Christian communities. One way would be to make it compulsory for these upstart religious gurus to carry their credentials and produce them on demand. Mere wearing of colourful robes (for bishops) to and white-collars (pastors/priests) won’t do.