Priests Assaulted, ₹8 Lakh Looted in Midnight Robbery at Samsera Church,Simdega, Jharkhand

Simdega, June 10, 2025: A shocking robbery took place at around 1:30 AM on Sunday night in a church located in Samsera village under Bolba block of Simdega district, Jharkhand. Five masked and armed robbers broke into the church premises and looted approximately eight lakh rupees. They brutally assaulted the parish priests during the incident. The assailants not only attacked with sticks and weapons but also held guns to the priests' heads, forcing them to chant religious slogans under duress.

Bishop Vincent Barwa of Simdega spoke to Catholic Connect, stating, "It is a sad situation that the priests are beaten up and assaulted." He added, "The parish has around 8,000 people and we have replaced the priests for the time being. The priests will be alright and should be back within a week. We also have people watching the church." He confirmed that the police are cooperative and actively working to find the culprits.

Following this terrifying incident, a sense of fear has gripped the Christian community. On Monday morning, angry members of the Christian society took to the streets in protest. They described the incident not only as a criminal act but also as an attack on religious freedom.

During the robbery, Parish Priest Father Ignatius Toppo, Samsera School Principal Agustin Dungdung, and Assistant Parish Priest Roshan were seriously injured. All three have been admitted to the CHC hospital in Bolba for treatment.

According to Father Roshan, the robbers had arrived with a duplicate key. They first broke into Father Toppo’s room and beat him up, then entered other rooms, assaulting all the priests at gunpoint and forcing them to chant religious slogans. One of the robbers was carrying a country-made pistol while another had a sharp weapon. They looted about eight lakh rupees in cash from the church, school, and parish office.

All the robbers were speaking in Odia, raising suspicion that they might have come from outside the area.

Father Ignatius Toppo revealed that this was the third robbery at Samsera Church. The church has been targeted twice before. These repeated incidents have sparked serious concern among the Christian community regarding their safety.

The Bolba police have sealed the block’s borders and are conducting raids at possible hideouts. Station In-Charge Santosh Kumar stated that the culprits will be arrested soon. The incident has created an atmosphere of tension and anger in the region.

By Catholic Connect Reporter