Christian families in West Bengal get police protection after alleged attacks to renounce religion

Days after the West Bengal Police filed a first information Report (FIR) on allegations of attack on Christian families in Paschim Medinipur district, the victims were provided protection on Saturday (October 24, 2026) with police personnel posted outside their houses.

The FIR was registered at the Chandrakona police station on October 20 based on a complaint by a woman who alleged that three families including hers with minors present were attacked and were allegedly given rape threats and death threats to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Thirteen persons have been named in the FIR and according to the complainant they are associated with Bajrang Dal.

Herod Mullick, founder of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), an interfaith forum representing Christians in West Bengal told The Hindu on Saturday (October 24, 2026) that the families have been provided protection by the police, but there have been no arrests so far.

The woman in her complaint said that the attacks against the families started on October 18 and continued till October 20. The complainant said that the accused entered her house and pressured her family to renounce Christianity and return to Hinduism. “They then forcibly bathed me in front of everyone as part of a so-called purification ritual. My clothes were removed without my consent and I was made to take part in that ritual against my will,” the woman wrote in the police complaint. The woman has also alleged that the accused forced them to visit a nearby Durga Puja pandal in Dingal village and they were compelled to perform Hindu rituals against their will. She said her 16-year-old daughter was subjected to verbal abuse and rape threats.

The FIR has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including charges for insulting the modesty of a woman and attempt to murder. The complainant has urged the police to provide security to the attacked families and shift them to a safer location.

Mr. Mullick said that the families in Chandrakona have been attacked for their faith. “There have been 45 such incidents of attacks on Christians in the past few months and we have been able to register FIR in a dozen of cases,” he said, adding that a fact-finding team of BCP will meet the families soon.

Earlier this month, a fact-finding team of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress led by Rajya MP Sagarika Ghose had visited different parts of West Bengal to verify reports of threats, attacks, and restrictions on Christian people. Ms. Ghose had pointed out that members of the Christian community were being attacked if they do not “return” to Hinduism while churches were vandalised by mobs.

christianity / minority group / West Bengal