CSW Calls for Investigation after 'Brutal' Murder of Indian Preacher
A U.K.-based Christian human rights group is advocating for a full investigation of the latest murder of a preacher in India.
A U.K.-based Christian human rights group is advocating for a full investigation of the latest murder of a preacher in India.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) condemns the “brutal” murder of lay preacher Prem Kumar in Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, in a report released by the organization on Tuesday. Pastor Kumar’s murder follows a similar pattern to the murders of three other Christian leaders in the region within the last eighteen months.
According to the All India Christian Council (AICC), a CSW partner, Kumar was attacked with boulders and stones on June 8 and his head was crushed “beyond recognition.”
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Based on an AICC report, Pastor Kumar was approached at 8 a.m. by a young man requesting that he lead a prayer service in the village of Rampur Thanda. Pastor Kumar agreed, but before setting out he asked his son, Sunil, to contact him every 30 minutes. However, at 11 a.m. Sunil lost contact with his father. That evening, the family organized a search party and discovered Kumar’s body in the forest near Rampur Thanda.
Kumar is the fourth church leader to have been murdered in Andhra Pradesh state in just over a year. According to CSW, the May 2005 murders of Pastor K. Daniel, who was found brutally mutilated in Hyderabad after his attackers poured acid on him, and Pastor Isaac Raju, who was wrapped in a jute bag and dumped behind bushes in the Bolconda area outside the city, took place under similar circumstances. “Both men were lured to a remote location in a similar manner to Pastor Kumar,” the organization reported.
The men arrested for the May 2005 murders publicly admitted their opposition to the alleged conversion activities of the two pastors.
In May, the body of Pastor Sidney David was found smashed by a boulder in Karimnagar. His family claims that Hindu extremists are responsible, though the police investigation is ongoing.
“It is impossible not to feel shocked and saddened at these brutal and calculated attacks,” said CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Kumar’s family at this time. We urge the police authorities in Andhra Pradesh to carry out a full investigation into these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
