A mob vandalized a village church in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, claiming that a visually impaired girl had become pregnant after she was sexually assaulted by a man from the Christian community months ago.
The incident took place in Murgagoth village under Anandpur police station on Monday (April 6, 2026). “The victim and the accused belong to the same village. The girl’s distant uncle, who is said to have committed the crime, is currently working in Tamil Nadu. The villagers came to know about the pregnancy only recently. On Monday (April 6, 2026) early in the morning when no one was in the church, some miscreants took chairs and an almirah and set them on fire Police officers, Kamer Panda, Kamil Vision. Keonjhar.
Mr. Panda said the village, comprising about 85 households, is almost evenly divided between Hindu and Christian residents.
“The case of sexual assault was not reported to the police earlier. However, the villagers have now approached the police to file a complaint regarding the pregnancy as a result of the alleged rape,” he said.
Police said the area is community sensitive and they are maintaining vigilance to prevent any escalation into wider violence.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Odisha in June 2024, 54 communal riots and seven cases of mob lynching have been reported. This was stated by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Home portfolio, in the recently concluded budget session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Police arrested 298 people in connection with communal riots cases and 61 individuals for their alleged involvement in mob lynching incidents.
According to the Law and Order White Paper tabled in the Assembly last month, 122 incidents of communal violence involving Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities were reported in 2025. Of these, 106 involved Hindu and Muslim groups, while 16 cases involved Hindu and Christian communities.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 23:16 IST
