The storm of persecution against Christians in India is raging fiercer than ever. What was displayed in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, last month was not just another incident; it was a brutal token that faith has become a crime in the eyes of extremists and, worse, in the eyes of those sworn to uphold the law. Six pastors were arrested on fabricated charges of Forced Conversion, and many of them were subjected to torture in custody.

On July 20, Pastor Abhinav Baksh was leading his afternoon service when approximately 35 Hindu extremists descended on the church, shouting obscenities, mocking Christianity, and blasting hymns to their gods to disrupt worship. Video footage later captured them chanting, “Hit those carrying out conversions with shoes!” and “The pride of the nation is Bajrang Dal!”

Inside the church, women, children, and even elderly women clung to one another as the mob’s fury grew louder. The church doors were locked from inside for safety. Instead of confronting the aggressors, police arrived with a show of force and demanded that the doors be opened.

Once inside, officers ignored the mob’s provocations and instead ordered the congregation to board a bus. Nearly 40 Christians—including the women—were forcibly taken to the Jamul police station, as though they were criminals.

At the police station, officers demanded that Pastor Moses Logan provide five names to pin charges on. He refused, saying the only people who should be charged were those who attacked the church. Under political and extremist pressure, police charged six pastors—Logan, Baksh, K. Thomas Gunta, Komal Kothari, Om Prakash Sahu, and Satya Kumar.

Shockingly, several women who had been present were also booked under the same pretense of “forced conversions.” They were treated with the same contempt, interrogated harshly, and kept under custody.

The Christians were accused under India’s new penal code sections for “rioting” and “obstructing public servants,” flimsy charges that exposed the sham nature of the arrests.

Torture Behind Closed Doors:

When the pastors were moved to Durg jail that night, the ordeal turned into sheer horror. According to Pastor Logan, the jailor interrogated everyone about their occupations. When the pastors boldly identified themselves as pastors, confirming their religious vocation, the jailor ordered punishment.

The five pastors—excluding Logan, who claimed illness—were savagely beaten with wooden batons on their thighs, buttocks, and knees. They were humiliated, forced to endure aggressive body searches and verbal abuse.

“They treated the pastors with cruelty that words can barely capture,” Logan recalled. “Their faith became their crime, their veil became their accusation.”

Photographs later revealed deep lacerations on the pastors.

City Christian leaders and families moved heaven and earth to secure bail. By the evening of July 21, the pastors were released. But freedom came tainted—criminal charges still hang over them, while the real culprits walk free.

Pastor Logan painted a bleak picture: “Christians are no longer safe in their homes, in their churches, and now not even in jails. Those we seek protection from are the very ones who harm us.”

In Chhattisgarh, persecution has taken an organized shape. Churches are being shut down—60 to 70 in Bastar alone. Funerals are blocked. Even private celebrations like birthdays are raided. Extremists storm Christian homes, disrupt gatherings, accuse families of conversions, and use false complaints to weaponize the law.

India’s Dangerous Descent:

India now ranks 11th on the 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face extreme persecution, a steep decline from its 31st position in 2013. Rights groups point to the ruling BJP’s emboldening of Hindu nationalist groups as a driving force behind this rise in violence.

On July 22, around 400 Christians gathered outside the Jamul police station to demand justice—not only for the pastors but also for other Christians. They submitted a memorandum on July 24 condemning the mob attacks, the false charges, and the jail torture. The police took the memorandum but have yet to take any action against the extremists or jail officials.

Today, the pastors live under the weight of legal battles and the haunting memory of their ordeal. The attackers roam free, bolstered by silence and impunity.

Pastor Logan’s words slice through the darkness:
“When the protectors turn predators, where can the sheep run? Yet we will not stop worshipping. They can break our bodies, but they cannot silence our faith.”