Christian family attacked in West Bengal over refusal to change religion
A Christian family in Howrah district, West Bengal, India, says they faced repeated attacks over three days. The attackers allegedly pressured them to leave Christianity and convert to Hinduism.
Mr. and Mrs. Manna filed the complaint. Putul Manna and her husband Kanchan Manna live in Ghorabaria South Bhatora village, under the Bhatora police outpost of Amta Jaipur police station. The couple regularly held prayer meetings at their home.
The family says the first attack happened on September 16. A mob of nearly 200 people stormed their house that day and demanded they abandon Christianity and adopt Sanatan Hindu Dharma. The next night, the mob surrounded the house again. This time they verbally abused and physically assaulted the couple in front of their minor children.
On September 17, a group of about 40 people attacked the house again and threw household items outside. The family says the attackers wanted to force them out of their home.
The complaint states that attackers grabbed Ms. Manna by her hair and beat her, and also beat her husband. The attackers also tried to force the couple to sign a document stating they had disowned their own children.
Ms. Manna later filed a written complaint at the Bhatora police outpost and demanded strict legal action against the attackers. She asked police to register a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and to arrest the accused quickly. She also asked for adequate security for her family, saying she fears for the lives of her husband and their two children.
The complaint further asks authorities to protect the family’s constitutional and religious rights and to intervene so they can live peacefully in their own home, free from harassment or coercion.
