Three members of a Christian family were brutally murdered in their home in Nialijharan village, Keonjhar District, Odisha State on 25 January.
Jitendra Soren, his wife Malati Soren, and their 15-year-old daughter had attended a church service earlier on 25 January and returned home for lunch when relatives, the victim’s brothers and their sons arrived, accusing the couple of practicing black magic. The attackers claimed the family’s church attendance was causing illness in Mr and Mrs Soren’s niece. Upon Mr Soren’s denial of the allegations, he was pushed to the ground. When his daughter intervened to protect her father, she was struck with an axe and killed. Mrs Soren was then murdered while trying to save her daughter, followed by Mr Soren, who attempted to flee but was caught and killed.
The couple’s younger daughter managed to escape the attack, and they are also survived by an elder married daughter, and a son who was away studying at the time of the attack. The remaining family members have sought shelter with a family friend but remain unsafe in the village. The police have arrested three suspects and filed a First Information Report (FIR), which is required to open an investigation, however the anti-Christian motive of the attack has been omitted from the report.
While the incident is being dismissed by the police as a land dispute, the victim’s son Suguda told CSW that the family’s conversion to Christianity a year ago had not been welcomed by their extended family, and that for several weeks before the incident they had been warned not to attend church or face death. Suguda also said that the relatives believed they were involved in black magic and their new religion had something to do with his cousin’s ill-health.
The incident occurs amid a surge of violence and hostility towards Christians in Odisha State, particularly in tribal areas such as Keonjhar, which has a history of anti-Christian persecution. The family had converted to Christianity recently, making them one of only a few Christian households in the village.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The brutal murder of Jitendra Soren, his wife Malati, and their young daughter is a chilling reminder of the extreme vulnerability faced by religious minorities in Odisha and across India. To dismiss this horrific act as a mere land dispute is not only a distortion of the facts but a profound injustice to the survivors who witnessed their family being targeted for their faith. CSW calls upon the authorities to ensure that the First Information Report accurately reflects the anti-Christian animus and the false allegations of black magic that fuelled this attack. Justice cannot be served if the motive is obscured. The government must act immediately to provide protection for the surviving children and address the rising tide of intolerance that continues to claim lives in tribal communities. India cannot allow a culture of impunity to take root where changing one's faith becomes a death sentence.’