This was a wicked attack.
Members of a house church in northern India are no longer able to meet for worship following an attack by a mob of approximately 150 Hindu extremists on July 14, sources reported.
The incident took place in the Nawada area of Dehradun District, Uttarakhand. At the time of the attack, 15 church members were engaged in worship when Pastor Rajesh Bhomi’s mother-in-law warned them of the approaching mob. She had spotted them a short distance away while en route to the Sunday service.
Pastor Bhomi, 37, recounted that his mother-in-law suspected the group might be affiliated with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and alerted them to the potential danger. Following her advice, they locked the main entrance gate and continued their service quietly, without any music or amplification.
Despite their precautions, the mob, which included women leading the front, began forcefully trying to break down the gate. When Pastor Bhomi inquired about their intentions, the attackers demanded entry, insisting on a discussion. They were met with questions about why such a large group had assembled. The confrontation quickly escalated as the mob overwhelmed the gate, flooding into the property and vandalizing everything in sight. Some attackers were armed with lathis and beat several individuals severely.
Among those injured were Pastor Bhomi’s wife, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and two female members of the congregation, who suffered multiple injuries from the assault. The attackers also stole mobile phones, a laptop, and damaged musical equipment.
The police arrived later and managed to disperse the mob. However, they delayed processing the incident and did not address the urgent needs of the pastor’s children, who had been upset and hungry throughout the day. Initially, the police claimed they could only file the report against unknown assailants. Nevertheless, a church member with prior RSS connections helped identify eleven individuals known as RSS leaders.
The police registered the case under various charges, including causing grievous harm, rioting, and insulting religion, among others. Despite naming the suspects, the church’s detailed accounts of the attack were omitted from the official report, which seemed to downplay the severity of the situation.
Church members had documented the attack, with video evidence circulating online, yet police action remained limited. The attacker’s faces were clearly visible in the recordings, but no significant progress has been made in holding them accountable.
The church has faced ongoing backlash, including a member losing his job and local businesses refusing to serve them. Despite this, Pastor Bhomi remains committed to his ministry and has chosen to forgive the attackers, expressing hope that they might seek redemption in the future.
The church now holds services online, given the absence of other places of worship in the vicinity. India’s position on the World Watch List, ranking 11th among the most challenging countries for Christians, reflects the increasing hostility toward religious minorities under the current government, which has exacerbated the situation since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure began in May 2014.