A pastor in India was shot and killed in the street in the state of Jharkhand as he was returning home from baptizing believers, The Christian Post reports.
He was attacked and harassed by three unidentified men and one shot him, according to the pastor’s wife.
“They killed my husband in front of my own eyes. I was terrified seeing my husband collapse having been shot in the chest. I started to think about my children and loudly cried out to God to save me and take care of my [two] children. I ran into the thick bushes and the nearby forest. I probably walked for more than 10 hours to reach my home. I purposely did not take the road to avoid the attackers.”
As of early Saturday, police were still investigating the case. His body was found by local villagers at 5 A.M. lying on the road, International Christian Concern writes. He received threats from radical Hindus who lived there. Further, the Christians who live in the region of the church he attended were also regularly receiving death threats. According to International Christian Concern, “Local Christians report there have been multiple threats issued against Christians in Putikda village. According to one source, the Christians of Putikda have been told they must renounce their Christian faith.
The Christian Post reports a mob of 50 people attacked a community of Christians in another region of India close to Jharkhand. They were attacked at midnight on November 24, 2020, after observing the Advent season and celebrating the birth of a child in their community. The mob burned Bibles, damaged motorcycles, and accused the Christians of “destroying” the local culture. However, this is not just localized to one region of India.
According to Open Doors’ Christian persecution watchlist, India is the 10th most difficult countries for Christians to live in. According to the report, “Since the current ruling party took power in 2014, incidents against Christians have increased, and Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Wael Alreweie
John Paluska has been a contributor for Christian Headlines since 2016 and is the founder of The Daily Fodder, a news outlet he relaunched in 2019 as a response to the constant distribution of fake news.
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