A church built by the Koya tribal community in Kistaram village, Chhattisgarh state, India was burnt down in the early hours of 5 February in an attack that villagers allege was planned by the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Kistaram Police Station.
CSW sources report that SHO Bhavesh Shinde visited the church at 11am on 3 February and asked the Christians to stop praying in the premises. He told them that he didn’t like their prayers and threatened to falsely accuse them of being Naxalites (i.e. far left radical communists, who have been in constant conflict with the government of India over land rights) if they didn’t stop praying there.
On 4 February the SHO reportedly called two villagers, named Deva (35) and Kadthi Santhosh (26), to the police station and asked them to set fire to the church. However, they refused to do so, and were subsequently insulted and threatened with being falsely accused of being Naxalites.
At approximately 3am on 5 February, the church was burnt down. Later that day, the SHO reported the incident to church members Thurram Khanna and Kadti Gurva, who owned the land, and two other members of the church. The SHO allegedly smiled as the incident was being reported and warned them that they would be sent to jail if they prayed there again. Mr Khanna and Mr Gurva have filed affidavits in support of their allegations.
The church, which had a thatched roof, had been built five months ago by the Koya tribal community with their own hands. The land in Kistaram village belonged to Kadti Gurva (52), the son of Penta Gurva, and was paid for using his family savings. An estimated 100 people attended prayer meetings and Bible studies there regularly.
On 5 February, the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CGCF) made enquiries of the SHO about the church burning, which he denied had taken place. The villagers had reportedly asked him to file a First Information Report (FIR), which is required for the police to open up an investigation, however he refused to do so and would not even note the villagers’ complaints.
On 7 February, a delegation of CGCF and Christians from the Koya tribe met the Director General of Police and submitted a memorandum asking for an inquiry and suspension of the SHO. On 8 February, they met with the Human Rights Commission and the Minorities Commission to submit a memorandum.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “It is deeply concerning that members of the police force, which is meant to protect the fundamental rights of Indian citizens, have either condoned or been implicated in this violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief. We urge both Chhattisgarh state and central government authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation to ensure that all perpetrators of this crime, including any police officers who may be complicit, are brought to justice. We also call for the victims to be fully compensated for the loss that they have suffered, and to be provided with alternative arrangements for them to practice their religion freely. The state must also ensure that this community will not be subjected to fear and intimidation in the future.”
