Assailants attack bus carrying Christian missionaries in Jammu and Kashmir

A group of assailants violently attacked a bus carrying around 10 to 15 Christian missionaries from Kerala, India, as it was departing from a private home in Juthana Village, in the Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, on 23 October.

Approximately five attackers are said to have smashed the vehicle’s windshield and side-view mirror with sticks and sharp weapons while attempting to confront the passengers inside. Video footage of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, captured several police officers present at the scene but initially failing to intervene effectively, allowing the assault to unfold.

The missionaries, who had been invited by residents of Juthana, were left shaken but unharmed after police reinforcements eventually arrived to intervene and arrested one of the attackers.

Jammu and Kashmir Police subsequently suspended eight police officers, including a sub-inspector and seven special police officers, for their inadequate response during the attack. A First Information Report (FIR), which is required for the police to open an investigation, was registered by the Kathua police against unidentified individuals linked to the assault for the crimes of attempted murder, rioting and criminal intimidation under the Indian Justice Code, and for using prohibited/bladed weapons under Section 27 of India’s Arms Act, on the same day. Investigations are underway, and one person, identified as Ravindra Singh Thela, has been arrested.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘This brutal attack is a sad reminder of the growing intolerance faced by peaceful religious minorities in regions already fraught with tension. We call on the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure that justice is served and to guarantee the safety of all minorities, regardless of their religion or belief.’