Three Christian Families Allegedly Assaulted, Forced to Perform Hindu Rituals in West Bengal

WEST MIDNAPORE, October 23, 2026: Three Christian families in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district have alleged that they were assaulted, threatened and forced to participate in Hindu religious rituals over three consecutive days, prompting police to register a case and deploy personnel near their homes.

The incidents reportedly occurred on October 18, 19 and 20 under the jurisdiction of Chandrakona police station. According to The Indian Express, the families alleged that the attackers also pressured them to abandon their Christian faith and threatened them against approaching the police.

Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under charges including attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, outraging a woman’s modesty and robbery. The investigation is underway.

A 40-year-old woman told The Indian Express that a group of people arrived at her home around 3.30 pm on October 18 and dragged her and her 50-year-old husband outside before assaulting them. She alleged that her clothes were torn and that she was forced to eat Tulsi and Bel leaves while water was poured over her in front of onlookers as part of a purported purification ritual.

The couple earn their livelihood by making copper jewellery at home. The woman alleged that the group subsequently entered the homes of two other Christian families and assaulted their members. The attackers also reportedly took ₹20,000 from one household and threatened the families against reporting the incidents to the police.

The woman said the families initially called the police emergency number 100, prompting personnel to visit and hear their accounts. However, on the morning of October 19, the group allegedly returned and took members of the families to a Durga Puja pandal in a nearby village, where they were forced to offer anjali, a ritual offering, before onlookers. The group was allegedly angered by the families’ earlier contact with the police.

The complainant further alleged that a minor girl from one of the other families was attacked. On October 20, the men from the three households were reportedly threatened and taken away by the group. According to the woman, her husband and the other men returned home in tears.

Fearing further violence, the families sent three minor girls to stay with a relative. The woman later contacted community members and approached the police again. Police personnel took the families to a local hospital for treatment, after which they lodged a formal complaint.

Four police personnel were subsequently deployed near their homes for security. While acknowledging the police assistance, the woman told The Indian Express that the families continued to receive threatening calls and feared further attacks once the security deployment ended. She also expressed concern for her ailing father-in-law and elderly mother-in-law, who live with her.

An advocate practising at the Calcutta High Court, who assisted the families, said the FIR was registered after he visited the police station on October 20. He added that the alleged perpetrators had not been arrested at the time of the report.

Superintendent of Police Papiya Sultana confirmed that the police had received the complaint and that the investigation was in progress. She said the families had been brought to the police station and a police picket established near their homes after they expressed concerns for their safety. The police were taking steps to prevent further incidents, she added.

The families have appealed for protection and said they want to continue living in their homes peacefully, without fear of intimidation or further violence.

Courtesy: The New Indian Express