Catholic priests beaten up by Police in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, 4 April, 2025: In a shocking incident, police officers attacked Juba Parish of Berhampur Diocese in Odisha on March 22, brutally assaulting priests and looting the church. The assault followed a raid in a nearby village a day earlier, during which police searched homes for ganja and arrested several villagers. The church, however, had no connection to the illegal trade and had consistently advised against it in its teachings.

In an interview with Catholic Connect, Fr. Joshi George clarified, "The church has nothing to do with it. In fact, we preach in homilies multiple times, advising the villagers to not engage in such trade. Unfortunately, some continue as it gives them monetary benefit."

According to Fr. Joshi, the Parish Priest of Juba Parish and a victim of the attack, the officers suddenly arrived on March 22 and began beating whoever they found in the Church and Presbytery. The priest shared his story in an interview with the local Odia news outlet, Samartha News.

At the time of the incident, a few young girls were cleaning the church, as is customary in preparation for the next day, Sunday Mass. Suddenly, the officers entered the church and started assaulting the young girls. Among them, three girls shouted, "Father! Father!" and ran toward the presbytery, calling for help.

Inside, Fr. Joshi and his assistant priest, Fr. Dayanand, were resting. As soon as they came out, one officer asked them, "Who are you?" While the priests were introducing themselves, the officers started beating them both.

The Parish Priest and his assistant were severely beaten. They were dragged into the street, insulted with filthy language, and humiliated. The officers accused them, saying, "You are Pakistanis! You have come here to convert people to Christianity and are spreading bad teachings among them!" They then confiscated the Parish Priest’s mobile phone, telling him, "We will return it after two days."

The priests denied the allegations, stating that they were not converting anyone or spreading false teachings but rather providing good education to the people. However, the officers ignored their words and continued to beat them, with Fr. Dayanand suffering the most. He was brutally hit on the head and shoulders, leaving him seriously injured.

"We wanted to take him to the hospital that evening, but out of fear, we could not," said Fr. Joshi. "The next day, we took him to Berhampur Medical College Hospital."

The X-ray report confirmed that Fr. Dayanand's shoulder bone was fractured. Physically and emotionally devastated, the priest suffered not only from his injuries but also from the trauma—on what was supposed to be his birthday.

After dragging the priests to the street, the officers entered the presbytery. They sat in the dining room, drank water, entered the priests' bedrooms, and even looted ₹40,000 from the Parish Priest's office.

"They falsely accused us, insulted us with cruel and filthy language, and persecuted us both physically and mentally," Fr. Joshi said. "We never expected such treatment from officers."

When the Parish Priest questioned them, asking, "Why are you beating us?" they could not provide any reason. He continued, "We condemn this brutal act and urge that no priest, church institution, or Christian should ever face such attacks again."

The officers also threatened the priest, saying, "We will take you to the Mohana Police Station. You will stay there, and no one will be able to help you."

In response, Fr. Joshi firmly told them, "I have committed no mistake to be taken to the police station. If I have done anything wrong, state it clearly."

"I have shared our suffering and pain with my authorities. They will take the necessary steps. Regardless, I will continue my priestly service in this parish."

He further stated to Catholic Connect, "We are in the season of Lent, and it is a reminder of the suffering of Christ. We forgive them for the injustice done to us without proper enquiry." He added, "We also request the police administration to not engage in such acts without any evidence."

By Sr. Sujata Jena

Image credit: Samartha News