By Matters India Reporter
Kolkata, August 21, 2026: A Christian funeral at a cemetery in rural West Bengal was disrupted by a group of individuals church representatives said, prompting complaints to authorities and raising concerns about religious freedom and the right to conduct last rites without interference.
The incident took place at St. Claret Church cemetery in Sahanagar, near the town of Memari in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, on August 16.
Eyewitnesses reported that the aggressors vandalized cemetery property, assaulted mourners, and in an extraordinary act of desecration, forcibly exhumed the body after it had been lowered into the grave, halting the final rites and traumatizing the bereaved family.
Parish Priest Father Samuel Hembrom said police officials refused to register an FIR when approached.
The matter was referred to the Diocese of Raiganj and subsequently referred to the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba or Bengal Christian Council ((BCP) Legal Cell at the advice of Archbishop Elias Frank of Calcutta.
BCP Founder State Secretary Herod Mullick was briefed on the incident and condemned the apparent collusion between miscreants and law enforcement. The BCP Legal Cell has initiated emergency petitions and is seeking high‑court oversight to ensure justice and protection for parish members.
BCP has called upon civil society to stand in solidarity with the bereaved family and uphold constitutional rights in Sahanagar.
(Photo supplied)