Fwd: EFI NEWS Persecution Watch, Oct 22, 2012
Finney Philip
From: Evangelical Fellowship of India <ma...@efionline.org>
Date: Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Subject: EFI NEWS Persecution Watch, Oct 22, 2012
To: finn...@gmail.com
Pastor Arrested in Chhattisgarh
Pastor Beaten Unconcious in Karnataka
Baptism Service Disrupted in Orissa
Pastor Arrested in Uttar Pradesh
We request for the prayers that the church would continue to serve the nation inspite of innumerable suffering and pray also for
those who are persecuting that they may experience the love of Christ.
Pastor Arrested in Chhattisgarh
Police arrested Rev Satish George from Bethel Full Gospel Church on 12 Oct under Sections 3 & 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act after he was accused of enticement
in Pendra Road, Bilaspur Chhatisgarh.
Rev. George arrest is connected to an earlier incident when a man who claimed to be a naxalite gave extortion calls to him on 21 & 22 Sept demanding Rs 10 lacs or be
abducted like Alex Paul Menon, Sukma District Collector, reported our correspondent, Rev. Akhilesh Edgar.
Rev Singh submitted a police complaint against the caller. The police traced the mobile phone which was found in the custody of Sunny Singh and arrested him.
Thereafter, instigated by the Hindu extremists, Shraddha Singh w/o Sunny Singh filed a police compliant against Rev George of luring her to convert to Christianity by deceit
and allurement, without the knowledge of her husband and observing legal formality. The couple also accused Rev Singh of failing to give them Rs 6 lacs he promised to them.
Speaking to EFI NEWS, Rev. George said, "There is no case of forceful conversion or allurement. The whole family used to come to the church and Shraddha Singh took baptism by her
own free choice with full consent from her husband and family one and a half year ago."
Allegedly local Bharatiya Janata Party led by Pooran Chhabaria and media create a hype, demanded police investigation and action against Rev. George.
Rev.George was released on bail the same day of his arrest and his case is taken up by Advocate Anurag Naath.
Kindly pray for justice and for Rev George and his ministry.
Pastor Beaten Unconcious in Karnataka
On 11 Oct in Kannur, Kolar district Hindu extremists beat a pastor unconscious after they accused him of forceful conversion.
According to our correspondent, Rev Uday Kumar, Pastor John Samuel Kim was standing on the road with friends after distributing the wedding cards of his sister in Kannur
village
when the extremists suddenly attack him.
They accused him of forceful conversion and began to beat, kicked and punched him with sticks and rods. The pastor fell unconscious after the extremists attack him for almost
two hours.
The Christians who were standing with him were also beaten up but no as severely as Pastor Kim. "About 20 people repeatedly kicked, punch and beat me up and they were telling
the believers not to call anyone and to just watch me die", Pastor Kim told EFI NEWS.
However, police came to his rescue and took him to a local hospital where he was admitted. The pastor sustained a broken rib and severe injuries on his head and neck.
Again, the next morning, four extremists came to the hospital ward and attack him. Pastor Kim informed the Kolar District Superintendent of Police who gave police
protection to him during his treatment in the hospital for seven days.
The police registered a case against the extremists. But no arrest had been made as the attackers are absconding.
Kindly pray for complete recovery for Pastor Kim and for his church.
Baptism Service Disrupted in Orissa
In Kanthapada, Balasore, Orissa, a large group of Hindu extremists broke into a middle of a baptism service, beat
Pastor Jayaram Marandi and the believers on 2 October accusing them of forceful conversion.
Our correspondent Ashish Parida reported that the extremists filed a police complaint prior to barging into the Baptism service. As the meeting was just starting, the extremists
stormed in, accused the Christians of forceful conversion and took them to the police station.
The police detained Pastor Marandi and four believers in the police station for the entire night allegedly for safety measures.
However, the police released the Christians without filing any charges against them the next morning after realizing that the Christians took permission from the
district authorities to conduct a baptism service. Pastor Marandi, thereafter, was able to conduct the baptism peacefully.
Pastor Arrested in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh police arrested a pastor and 10 other Christians after Hindu extremists disrupted a prayer service, beat them up and falsely accused them of stealing on 30
Sept. in Ambednagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Rev Abraham Sahu reported to EFI NEWS that at about 8 p.m, Hindu extremists with police personnel barged into the prayer meeting conducted by Pastor Pannalal from Philadephia
Church, beat them up and took them to the Jalalpur police station.
The police accused Pastor Pannalal and the believers of stealing articles from Brahmin families in the area. The Christians were arrested under various Sections of the Indian
Penal Code and they were released the next day on bail after the intervention of Light Foundation.
Pastor Pannalal sustained severe injuries. Kindly pray for him.
Akhilesh Yadav
Hon'ble
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan, Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh 226001
Email: cm...@nic.in
(O) Tel: +91 522 2239296 ; 2236181 ; 2215501
(O) Fax: +91 522 2239234
Dr. Raman Singh
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
Chief Minister Niwas, Raipur
Email: c...@cg.nic.in
(O) Tel: +91 771 4066000 ; 2221000 ; 2221001
(O) Fax: +91 771 2221306
(R) Tel: +91 771 2442744 ; 2331001 ; 2331004
Shri Navin Patnaik
Chief Minister of Orissa
Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Gate, P.O. Bhubaneswar
Distt. Khurda, Pin - 751001 (Orissa)
Email: c...@ori.nic.in
(O) Tel: +91 674 2531100 ; 2531500
(O) Fax: +91 674 2535100
(R) Tel: +91 674 2591099 ; 2590299
Shri Jagadish Shettar
Chief Minister of Karnataka
Email:
c...@kar.nic.in
(O) Tel: +91 080 22253414 ; 22253424
(O) Fax: +91 080 22253115
Issued By:
Rev. Dr. Richard Howell,
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of India
New Delhi, India
Evangelical Fellowship of India (established 1951) is a charter member of World Evangelical Alliance, an accredited NGO with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations